Thursday, September 10, 2009

Catching the falling while falling

Back to school. Yikes! In an effort to improve my marketability (sounds like the slave market, eh?) I'm greasing my brain so it's shiny, and rolling a few wrinkles into the gray matter, so I can fold a few new (to me) systems and processes into the mix.
I"m so tired right now. I cannot remember when I last felt this exhausted. And it's only the latter part of the second week of school.
Sheesh. But I'm fascinated with learning and the process that unfolds as one presses forward on the path of education.
I stayed up late cramming for a quiz, and thought I was well-prepared. Then, after going through the usual beginning-of-class murmurs and rumbles, the prof. announced, "Since it's our first quiz, you can use your books so you can see how I do quizzes."
Now that's not a bad thing. It's not a good thing. It's just that all those hours spent prying open my head to pour in data about computer systems suddenly seemed manic and unnecessary.
Nonetheless, I was glad once I'd begun because, of course, there were two questions that had me scratching my noodle and the book definitely came in handy. So, thanks professor.
Mostly I'm frazzled from the bureaucratic bull@$#! I've had to contend with in order to claw my way into classes. No one owes me anything, but if the system were a bit more cooperative, in the truest sense of the word, it might be less nerve-wracking and more conducive to timely engagement with the task at hand, to wit: learning.
But nooooooo. I've got to drive to this office to meet with this person, who tells me I have to fill out these forms and deliver them to that person, who's at another office location. That done, well, here're more forms that are required to kick-start the loan process upon which I hang my hopes and dreams for a better shot at job fulfillment.
It's just hard, is all I'm saying.
So what, some of you are muttering.
Well, here's what: why, when this nation's education system, by broad consensus, is eroding and, compared to many industrialized nations in the world, falling far below standards of excellence, would the politicians and other folks who promote education as a worthwhile endeavor create such a set of macabre, Caligari-like demands on prospective students who, like me, have little financial resources but plenty of competence, drive and, yes, even passion for learning?
tch. Hard to fathom sometimes, the way this wonderful country of ours works.
We all are, somehow, stitched into the fabric of that flag we pledge allegiance to, yet we are too quick to fight one another over petty, inane contentions, in some cases. Or we're so very slow to counter when an imminent crisis that could affect everyone disastrously is glowing red on the horizon.
Beats me.

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