Greatest Hits - Facebook Edition

So, in an effort to preserve some of my most profound prose and poetic ponderings I have gone back over the last few months of my Facebook activity and picked out my favorite status updates to be reprinted here for posterity.... or the three* of you who actually read my blog.

It all started when I decide to try to convince my undergrad friends to visit me in Iowa.   They have not yet done so but that in no way makes the following paragraph any less entertaining.

"Dear closest friends from Franklin Pierce: I trust you are aware that I am in law school and would welcome a visit from old friends. . .

Accordingly, and with authority, I advise, nay appoint, you to assemble our most amicable of associates, not mere acquaintances but appreciated allies and arrive so accompanied at my present area for the advancement of activities alternatively amusing and awesome. I am adamant that such action at least be attempted and not airily abandoned afore the achievement is accomplished. By your appearance you will all be assured to acquire my absolute admiration and affection. Hopefully this alliteration alone is adequate to attain your attention and arouse your ambition. I await your answer, hopefully acquiescent and not apologetic, with abundant anticipation."
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After that I felt a need to try something like that again and luckily I found inspiration in an unlikely place... my first law school test.

"My friends. . .

We must not let this much maligned midterm make misanthropes of us. Instead of allowing melancholy, misery, and madness to manifest in our minds we must maintain morale and trust in our merits to mitigate our myriad of misgivings about this mandatory multiple choice monstrosity as we meet it on the morrow not with mere memorization but with a magnificent mastery of the material and it's meaning.

I hope this made your mood merrier at least momentarily. . ."

After a friend of mine said he felt like he had become part of "some messed up version of sesame street for adults" I decided to stop with the alliterations for awhile.
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I would not be the first law student to notice that eventually you start seeing law issues everywhere but even I was impressed at myself for seeing a contracts hypo in the climax of one of my favorite movies.

"Luke, strike down your father and your transformation to the dark side will be complete!

This offer may only be accepted by performance of actually striking down your father also known as Anakin Skywalker or Darth Vader. Turning to the dark side entitles you to other valuable consideration such as the use of force lightning. Any disputes rising out of this agreement will be heard in the courts of Coruscant but will apply the substantive and procedural laws of Tatooine. This offer expires at such time as Lord Vader rebels against the offeror and throws him down the reactor of a Death Star."

I would go on to note that the reason for the choice of law clause was that only a "wretched hive of scum and villainy" would uphold a contract that calls for patricide.

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 Time went on and I thought it would be funny to juxtapose the joy of Christmas with the soul crushing stress brought on by finals...  also I was having computer trouble at the time.

Twas the seventh day of finals and law school gave to me:
Seven study groups
Six AM wake ups
Five hours of sleep!
Four major tests
Three review sessions
Two nervous breakdowns
And a dying laptop battery!
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This idea continued with my spoof of "A Visit From St. Nicholas"

Twas the night after finals and all through the town
Law students were drinking, their sorrows to drown
The classrooms were empty, the lights were all dim
The very last bluebooks had all been turned in

Professors were grading with sinister glee
Taking pleasure in torturing 1L's like me
Still I had studied and I did my best
I was pretty sure I had passed every test

I was sitting and nursing my third or fourth drink
When all of a sudden I started to think
The semester was over and I had survived
Against all the odds I was still alive
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Finally, we have my newest favorite status update, a tribute to procrastination and my hatred for writing assignments that seem to value style and minutia over substance.

Once upon a night distressing, I was writing (just BS'ing)
Working on this paper given just to cause me grief
While I typed and then deleted, feeling ever so defeated
As each point I just repeated working on this cursed brief
"This is punishment" I muttered working on this cursed brief

My workload I wasn't denting, with each phrase I was inventing
Now my sorrow unrelenting raised inside me one belief
"This is pointless" I was thinking, as my hopes continued sinking
Driven just halfway to drinking working on this cursed brief
Then I sought out some relief

For the cold I started dressing, the distraction was a blessing
For once I simply wasn't stressing, stressing on this cursed brief
For a walk I would be going, though the winds would still be blowing
For one hour I'd be knowing some small measure of relief.
Then back to this cursed brief...
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*Yes I realize that three may be overselling it a bit

Revelations Upon Revelations

So I guess it's been awhile.

Well I suppose I should start by saying that I didn't win the election... at least not the one I really invested myself in.   It was kind of crushing at the time but I've moved past it.   I've also decided to give up on politics for awhile, maybe forever.   The fact is I am far too sensitive and when I lose I let it get to me more than I should.   I think I am done with anything that involves a risk of rejection and, for the time being, I will stick to things that fall with in the scope of my talents.

I would like to find a balance between staying in and spending entirely too much time in my own head and going out to bars or parties that are fun but not exactly conducive to conversation, at least not the kind of deep introspective conversation I have been craving as of late.   The problem is that there are so few people with whom I feel comfortable having those kinds of conversations...   I have not been all that successful at trying to lower my guard.   I have learned, however, that I have been wearing my heart on my sleeve far more frequently and to a far greater extent that I had previously believed.

Yet not everything is as disconcerting as it would seem.   No matter what happens I keep remembering that not long after I got here I felt, for the first time, like perhaps I was being driven by or driven to some greater purpose.   There are some ideas which cannot be abandoned and some stories which must be followed until their conclusions.

Until next time my dear reader...

Midnight Thoughts

So it's been awhile.   I suppose that's to be expected since life has been kind of hectic lately.   The new semester has started and with that comes a new set of challenges.   Classes are going well so far as they often do.   I am also resuming my role as the organizer and de facto leader of my study group.

Outside of class life remains.... complicated.   Some of the big plans I made over break have had to be tabled because of circumstances outside my control.   I am running for student office again and I feel good about my chances.   I have already promised not to slip into melancholy if I lose.   My social life is going strong but something is missing.   Maybe it's just that last semester raised my expectations but I think it's something more... identifiable.

It's funny that I have used two ellipses so far.  In formal writing ellipses are used to replace omitted words but I don't know if I got the joke all those years ago when I started using them to indicate subtext or a deeper meaning.   I suppose I could just come out and be blunt about things but that would defeat the purpose.   Maybe that's also the reason I spend a lot of time trying to think of the most clever way to say thins and just as much time wondering if I was too clever and it went over the heads of my intended audience.  Still, at least most of the time, I find that the people who are closest to me never seem to have any trouble understanding what I am trying very hard NOT to say.   At the same time I am finding it easier to be honest with people.   There have always been areas of my life about which I have been notoriously tight-lipped but now I find that to be changing.   Perhaps it's because I have newfound confidence or perhaps it's because I no longer feel compelled to project a perfect facade.

So I suppose this is as good a place as any to end.   As this article has been more cathartic than expository I will probably not link it to Facebook.   If you are reading this and we find ourselves in conversation please feel free to mention it so I know that at least someone is reading my blog.

Until I write again,


Adam