Week 3 Story: Why You Shouldn't Be Too Fond of Yourself

     A day that was much like any other day (sunny with mild weather and temperature) found two wood nymphs relaxing by a pond, catching up on the latest gossip (after all, with the Greek gods there is always much to gossip about). 

     One said to the other, “Did you hear about what happened to Narcissus last year?”

     “No,” was the response, “last I heard anything to do with him was that poor Echo pined for him and faded away, but that over a year ago. I knew her once, a long time ago. Nice girl. Shame she made Hera angry.”

    “Well you’ll find this interesting,” said the first, a fir wood nymph. “So you know how Narcissus basically rejects everyone who likes him? Like, no matter if they’re human, nymph, demigod, whatever, he just turns them away?”

     “Everyone knows that,” replied the other, whose home was an olive tree. “He’s always been so full of himself, thinking he’s all that. He’s just good looking. That’s not uncommon at all in mythology.”

     “Well I guess he made the wrong person mad,” said the fir nymph. “Someone cursed him! Said that he should fall in love with himself and fail to be loved back, and Nemesis heard him.”

     The olive nymph let out a snort. “The same Nemesis who hurts anyone who seems to be too lucky? Sure she wasn’t just eavesdropping? That goddess does love her gossip, just like the rest.”

     “Hey, I’m just telling you what I heard. I’ll stop if you don’t want to hear it.”

     “Alright, I’m sorry, I’ll be quiet. What happened after Nemesis got involved?”

     “Well, she did what was asked of her. The next time Narcissus was out hunting, when he went to drink from a pond he saw his reflection and fell in love with himself, and – “

     “Hold up, you expect me to believe that?” cried the olive wood nymph. “I know Narcissus went back for seconds of looks instead of getting in line when they were handing out intelligence, but surely even he wasn’t that dumb. I mean, animals can recognize that their reflection isn’t real!”

     The fir wood nymph held up her hands defensively. “I swear it’s true! My cousin’s boyfriend’s sister’s aunt saw him! He was sitting by the pond, weeping and reaching down to touch the surface, moaning at the fact that he couldn’t caress his reflection’s face. I swear it actually happened.”

     The olive wood nymph let out a snort. “Whatever you say. Did he ever manage to drag himself away from his own reflection?”

     The fir nymph shook her head. “He just stayed there. Supposedly he knew that it was his reflection, and that he was being stupid, but he still stayed there and just looked at himself. Just wasted away. Someone told me Echo was there, watching it all happen. Not that she could do anything to help him. He finally died after a while. Kind of a sad way to go, if you ask me. Longing so much for what you can’t have.”

     The olive nymph let out another snort. “This is Ancient Greece. People die in tragic ways all the time. Trust me, that’s nothing new.”

     “Yeah, but I didn’t tell you the best part,” said the fir nymph. “His sisters went to bury his body, but they didn’t find it! They found a flower instead next to the pond, white with a yellow center, and it kept bobbing towards the water as if it was trying to look into it. Supposedly Echo stayed with him until the end too.” She sighed. “I know Greek mythology always has tragic endings, but this one really sucks, if you ask me.”

     The olive wood nymph rolled her eyes again, and moved to stretch her arms. As she did, something by the edge of the pond caught her eye. There was a white flower, with a yellow center. As she watched, the flower kept nodding down at the top of the water, as if the wind was pushing it down. But the olive nymph realized that all the other plants were still, that there was no wind. The flower was the only plant in sight that was moving. 

     The olive wood nymph turned back to her companion, and saw that the fir nymph saw the flower as well. With a few muttered words to each other, they jumped up and moved quickly back down the path towards their trees, with only the echo of their words remaining in the clearing with the pond and the flower.

(Source: Ceil on DeviantArt)

Author’s note: This version of the story of Narcissus comes from Ovid's Metamorphoses. Like a lot of Greek myths, this one ends in tragedy. There’s not really a happy ending for anyone involved. Echo, who was cursed by Hera to repeat the last words someone spoke to her, was reported to have faded away after she was rejected by Narcissus, leaving only her voice behind. Narcissus (who was the subject of a prophecy that he would only be in danger if he were to find himself) was so arrogant in rejecting everyone that he attracted the attention of Nemesis (the Greek goddess of revenge who was known to go after those she felt had too high an opinion of themselves).

As should be evidenced, Narcissus is the root of the word ‘narcissism,’ a personality disorder where someone feels they are the best, and everyone who disagrees with them is their enemy. In other words, someone who is so in love with themselves that they disregard all others. Additionally, this story provides an explanation for the existence of two things: the echo, and the Narcissus flower (which really does exist).

I liked the idea of the story being told as gossip. The ending where the nymphs realize they’re by a pond with an oddly moving flower didn’t occur to me until I was almost done. But I like where the story ended up; it makes the tale a little somber, and gives it a ghostly feel that I think is befitting.

Reading Notes: Ovid's Metamorphesis, Part B

As often happens with Greek/Roman myths, the main character/occurrence in the story makes its mark in the English language by becoming the root of a common word. Here, we see why Narcissus (this version of the myth is from Ovid's Metamorphoses) is the root for the word narcissism, and all the other words that derive from that.

Reading Notes

• This version is a lot more poetic than the story of Phaethon I read yesterday, it seems.
• Definitely this version was meant to be read out loud, not read from paper.
• Lots of poetic imagery, as usual.
• It's weird because Narcissus is aware that he's in love with his own reflection, but he doesn't care.
• In my initial reading, my thought was "Narcissus isn't that bright, to fall in love with his own reflection. After all, one feature of cognitive development in children is when they recognize that what's in the mirror is a reflection."
• But again, he does know what's happening, he just doesn't care.
• Also shows how in mythology, prophecies always come to pass, no matter what is or isn't done to avoid them.
• In the end, a tragedy for both Narcissus and Echo (who really didn't do anything wrong except to make Juno angry, but I digress).
• Both of them end up dying/unhappy
• Side note, apparently the flower Narcissus turns into is known for growing by water and bowing so it looks like it's looking at its own reflection. Therefore, it's Narcissus forever looking at the reflection of one he can't have.
• Also, basically it was someone Narcissus rejected who started the whole thing (so again, the gods just kinda doing stuff at their whim).

So in this picture, we have Narcissus looking at his reflection, while Echo looks at him (Source: Greek Myths & Greek Mythology)

Reading Notes: Ovid's Metamorphesis, Part A

This story comes from Tony Kline’s translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. This story follows how Phaethon died, and the aftermath of how his family reacted. Phaethon had previously found out that the Sun God was his father, and after meeting him, demanded to drive the chariot of the sun, as was his birthright. His father, having said he’d grant any request that Phaethon made, tried his best to change his mind, but couldn’t succeed. Phaethon tried to drive the chariot, but because the horses were so wild, failed and let the sun chariot go wildly off course. As the heat of the sun chariot became unbearable, Earth called out to Jupiter for help. 

Reading Notes:

• Jupiter climbed up to the tallest mountain, and yelled for all the gods to witness that he had no other choice for what he was about to do.
• Jupiter threw a lightning bolt at the chariot, and hit Phaethon right in the head. 
• The horses broke free from the chariot and ran away, while Phaethon shot through the sky like a shooting star, eventually landing in a stream. 
• Some nymphs found his body and gave him a burial with a headstone announcing his fate.
• His father didn’t run the sun the next day, but resumed his duties the day after, as he wished to mourn his son.
• His mother and his sisters wandered the earth until he found his grave, and spent four days weeping and beating their chests.
• After the fourth day, although his mother tried to stop it from happening, his sisters turned into trees.
• Meanwhile, Cycnus, a friend of Phaethon, vented his grief in a similar manner, and turned into a swan because of it.
• Phaethon’s father swore that he wouldn’t pull the chariot again, and demanded that the others try and see how hard it could be.

The death of Phaethon (Source: Wikipedia)

Week 2: Thoughts on Feedback

In looking over the articles for the assignment, a few stood out to me. One of them was the graph for the Learning Process.

From the article

As we can see, learning is a continuous process, not a simple “A to B” trip. In our brains, as I’ve learned in my psychology classes, information is constantly being edited and refined with new information (or even with processing it after the fact). This is why your memory of an event may change over time, or, in relation to the current topic, how you view something may change over time.

Another article that I liked was the essay by John Cleese, titled “The Importance of Mistakes.” Cleese discusses how it’s important to recognize that, as long as someone reaches the end goal in the right amount of time, then the amount of mistakes they make along the way shouldn’t matter. Little mistakes are easily correctable, and having these small mistakes happen means that the goal is reached in the end. This rang a bell for me, since I’m encountering something similar at work. I was moved to start working in the accounting office, and my philosophy has become, “As long as I don’t make the same mistake twice, then I’m doing okay.” There’s a lot that goes into working in the office, and I’m the only one in there during my shift. Most of the time I end up texting one of my coworkers with a question, but I feel that as long as I don’t make the same mistake twice, then that means I am learning, and will eventually get to the point where I can reach the end goals without any help. 

This is something that can apply to life in general too. As long as I keep learning from my mistakes and avoid repeating them, then my end goal will be reached in the end.

But this is also me after 15 minutes of homework (Source: Growth Mindset Blog)

Topic Brainstorm: What to Choose

I already had the idea for one topic in mind, but I managed to come up with other topics to consider. Honestly, I may have issues with selecting which topic to go with! So, in no particular order:

Topic 1: Thread/Weaving Shop

(Source: Fancywork)

This is the first idea that I had: a shop that features textiles like yarn, thread, and woven things. Someone comes into the shop and asks about various items, and the proprietor tells the myth behind the item. This would definitely allow for exploration of various cultures, from Greek to Chinese to Native American, and as someone who likes to knit and crochet this would definitely be a topic I can write about. Also I hate my boyfriend because he came up with the perfect name for the shop: Spin Me a Yarn.

Topic 2: Mythological Pet Shop

(Source: Vector Cartoons)

At first I thought this could just be a pet shop where the animals are from different stories (example: Puss from Puss in Boots), but then I realized that was probably way too broad a topic, so instead we’re going to go with a mythological creatures pet shop, where Cerberus and Chinese dragons are waiting for someone to come adopt them. 

Topic 3: Psychology and Folklore

(Source: The Comic Strips)

So as a psych major this seems like a fun way to combine the class with my degree. It could be fun to look at the myths behind various terms in psychology. This may end up involving a lot of Greek/Roman mythology, since those were the main influences for a lot of the words used in English (for example: Narcissus, Oedipus, etc.), but I think there are some psychological terms that don’t come from Latin. I’d have to look more into that though.

Topic 4: Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

(Source: Reddit)

Honestly I love the idea of the Four Horsemen. There’s a lot of modern stories that feature the Four Horsemen in some way, such as books or TV shows (any Supernatural fans out there?), but I don’t think there’s a lot of stuff that’s in the public domain, so this one may be a little hard to do. Still, it’s a fun idea and if I can play around with it enough I can probably come up with something (maybe the Four Horsemen telling stories of stuff they’ve done individually in other cultures? Hm…)

Week 2: Jackal's Good Deed for the Season

      One fine day, as Jackal walked through the woods, he came across a tree he often took afternoon naps under. For politeness’ sakes, he greeted the tree and asked how the day was treating him. 

      “You won’t believe this,” said the tree, “a man came along and asked me to judge whether it was fair for a tiger to eat him after he let the tiger out of a trap!”

      “Oh really?” said Jackal. “What did you tell the man?”

      “What do you think?” said the tree. “I give men wood, fruit, and shade from my branches, and get nothing in return! The tiger can eat him and the matter be done for all I care!”

      After more small talk, Jackal bid the tree farewell and went on his way. He found the man’s plight interesting, but didn’t think about it for long.

      A short while later he came across a buffalo working in a field. Again, for politeness’ sake, Jackal greeted the buffalo and asked him how his day was. 

      “Oh, the usual,” grumbled the buffalo, “but you won’t believe this. A man came along and asked me to judge whether it was fair for a tiger to eat him after he freed the tiger from a cage!”

      “You don’t say,” Jackal said with interest. “How did you respond?”

     “What do you think?” the buffalo said. “I work for humans all day plowing their fields, and in return I’m lucky if I get enough food to eat and a dry place to sleep! Humans just take and take, I don’t care if the tiger eats him or not!”

      Now pondering the matter a little more, Jackal said his goodbyes to the buffalo and continued on his way. He then came across a road, and, minding his manners, asked the road how he was.

     “Same old same old,” the road told him. “But you’ll never guess who I just talked to not 10 minutes ago!”

     “Was it a man who wanted to know whether it would be fair to let a tiger eat him after the man freed the tiger from a trap?” Jackal asked dryly.

     “Oh,” the road said, a little disappointed. “Well yes, it was.”

     “What did you tell him?” Jackal asked.

    “What do you think?” the road growled. “Humans walk on me all day and run their carts over me, and all I get in return is the ashes and crumbs of the food they carry, if I’m lucky! If the tiger eats the man, that’s one less person to walk on me.”

     Jackal politely said goodbye to the road and continued on, musing over what the tree, buffalo, and road had told him. Now Jackal wasn’t any more fond of humans than the others were; they chased him away from hunting grounds and made it hard for him to find shelter. But he was less fond of the tiger. In the past, the tiger had stolen Jackal’s kill, chased him from water sources, and invaded his sleeping spot. When it came down to it, Jackal would rather that the man be victorious over the tiger, rather than the other way around.

     Of course, not one minute after Jackal came to this conclusion, he saw a man with a dejected look on his face walking towards him. Assuming this was the same man with a tiger problem, and deciding this would be his good deed for the season, Jackal politely asked the man why he was so upset. 

     Naturally, Jackal’s hunch was correct, and the man told him how he had come across a tiger in a cage, and when the creature promised not to eat the man if he let him out, the man took pity and opened the cage door. The tiger had jumped on the man, proclaiming the man a fool for believing him, and after being trapped in the cage for so long, the tiger was hungry. The man convinced the tiger to let him question the first three things he saw about whether this was fair, and to abide by their answers. After asking a tree, a buffalo, and a road, the man was disappointed to hear that they all considered the matter done, and that the man should let the tiger eat him.

     Feigning confusion, Jackal asked the man to repeat himself, as he found the whole matter very perplexing. The man did so more slowly. But Jackal asked the man to take him back to the tiger so he could explain, since Jackal was having a hard time understanding.

     The man walked him back to the tiger, who was still waiting for the man by the cage. Upon seeing him, the tiger sprang up and licked his lips, proclaiming, “Enough is enough, I’m hungry!”

     “Please sir,” said the man, “let me explain the matter to this jackal again, as he says he finds this confusing and wishes to understand.” 

     The tiger rolled his eyes, but allowed it, thinking he would simply eat the jackal for dessert. The man explained everything to the jackal for a third time, throwing in unnecessary details and taking as long as possible. But when he finally did finish, Jackal shook his head in bafflement. 

     “What can be so hard to understand?” the tiger asked exasperatedly.

     “Forgive me sir, my mind can take a while to grasp things,” groveled Jackal. “Let me see, the man was in the cage and you walked by – no, that’s not it. The man was in you and the cage walked by – wait, that doesn’t make sense. The cage was in the man”–

     “No, you moron,” roared the tiger. “I was in the cage and the man walked by”–

     “And how did you end up in the cage, sir?” Jackal asked.

     “Why, in the usual way, of course!”

     “And what, sir, is the usual way?”

    “This is the usual way!” yelled the tiger, jumping back in the cage. “Now do you understand the matter?!”

      “Oh, I understand it perfectly,” said Jackal, slamming the cage door shut. “And now that I do, I think it’s best things to go back to as they were before.”

Source: Andy Erekson

Author’s note: I think I liked the story of Tiger, Brahman, and Jackal from Jacob’s collection more than the other options because the trickery is unexpected at the end. We don’t expect for the jackal to come to the rescue of the Brahman, and it’s a surprise ending for the man to come out victorious. I thought it might be interesting to look at Jackal’s reasoning for helping the man, which isn’t looked at in the original version. I also decided to not specify that the man was a member of the Brahman caste, as it didn’t seem relevant to the story, or at least not in my version.

Reading Notes: Week 2 Anthology

For this first reading assignment I chose to read the story of Tiger, Brahman, and Jackal, from Joseph Jacob’s collection. This one grabbed my attention more than the others did, and I think I can work with it.

Notes

• A poor Brahman (a member of the highest Hindu caste) happened upon a tiger that was caught in a cage, and falling for the tiger’s pleas and promises to not eat him, let the tiger out.
• The tiger, of course, immediately took back his word as soon as he was free, and grabbed the Brahman to eat him.
• The Brahman managed to convince the tiger to let him talk to three things and ask their opinion of the matter, and the Brahman would go with what they said.
• The Brahman asked a tree, a buffalo, and a road their opinion, but they all dismissed his plight, pointing out how they gave and gave to humans and received little in return.
• On his way back to the tiger, the Brahman walked by a jackal, who asked him what was happening; when the Brahman tried to explain twice, the jackal claimed to be confused about the whole matter and asked to go back with the Brahman to the tiger to try and understand.
• They returned to where the tiger was waiting by the cage, and the tiger agreed to let the Brahman explain a third time.
• The jackal still claimed to be confused, and the tiger, enraged at the jackal’s stupidity, tried to walk him through it again.
• The jackal asked the tiger how he ended up in the cage; when the tiger said the usual way, the jackal asked what that was.
• Furious, the tiger jumped back into the cage and demanded if the jackal finally understood. The jackal slammed the cage door shut and proclaimed that he finally understood the situation, and that it was best for things to go back as they were before.

The Brahman telling Jackal of his situation. Source: by M. S. Corley

Week 2 Reading Overview

Possible Reading Options: 

Choose from CLASSICAL and/or BIBLICAL units for Weeks 3 and 4.

Week 3: Aesop (Jacob) 

Week 4: Saints & Animals

Choose from MIDDLE EASTERN and/or INDIAN units for Weeks 5 and 6.

Week 5: Bengali 

Week 6: Khasi

Choose from ASIAN and/or AFRICAN units for Weeks 7 and 9.

Week 7: China 

Week 9: Japanese Mythology

Choose from NATIVE AMERICAN units for Weeks 10 and 11.

Week 10: Alaska

Week 11: Sioux

Choose from BRITISH and/or CELTIC units for Weeks 12 and 13.

Week 12: Nursery Rhymes 

Week 13: Celtic Tales

Choose from EUROPEAN units for Weeks 14 and 15.

Week 14: Inferno 

Week 15: Russian Fairy Tales

Having a tentative plan will definitely be helpful, I think. Something I struggled with last semester was selecting one story out of so many, but preemptively narrowing my options down will definitely help that. There’s not one unit I’m particularly excited for, but I think the Nursery Rhymes unit could get pretty fun, as well as the Aesop one.

Honestly I chose this image because I saw it and immediately thought “Thing of nightmares right here". From the Celtic Fairy Tales unit

Time Strategies and Whether I'll Use Them (The Answer is Hopefully)

When I first started out in college, I was the kind of person who was obsessive about scheduling. In my phone and on paper I laid out not just classes, shifts at work, and marching band times, but also when I should study what subject. I’d heard that for every one hour of credit a class was worth, you should spend 3 hours studying the material outside of class every week. I took that literally, and drew out my schedule so that I was to spend 9 hours studying for a three hour class, 15 hours for a 5 hour class, and so on. 

In the end, turns out that’s not quite sustainable. And that scheduling that amount of time doesn’t really help if you’re not doing anything productive. Not necessarily that I would just sit on my laptop the whole time and call it studying, but rather that I would waste time doing stuff like copying down notes on stuff I already knew, or studying in a slow, ineffective way. Everyone’s heard the saying “work smarter, not harder.” I was doing the opposite. 

Now that I’m a super senior, I need to try and regain some of those study habits (but not to that extent). For me, things like getting out of the house to study, such as to a coffee shop, are good, since it’s too easy for me to get distracted at home. There are also apps that I use to keep me focused, like one that blocks me from getting on my phone for a set amount of time. That way I can say, “I need to focus on X for 20 minutes, then I can take a break.”

As far as the articles offered, one of the ones I liked was The Important Habit of Just Starting. This doesn’t apply only to academic things, but to most things in life. Whether it’s just starting to clean your room, or do the dishes, once you start, you can usually keep going. Sometimes it’s hard to find the energy to do so, though. 

Another article that I liked was Realistic Study Plans. The article explains the best way to find a good study plan by working in time around other things, and making sure that you divy up tasks realistically (like not assuming you can write a three page paper in an hour). This reminds me of other things I’ve read, about how dividing up a large task into its smaller components can be better than just trying to tackle the large task in the long run. 

I do already have a planner I like to use for everything, I just need to sit down and fill it out (first week of school is always a little wonky for scheduling, so I wait until everything settles down, especially since I like to write in pen). Hopefully I’ll be able to have a semester that’s a little better executed than last semester.

Me without any kind of a planner/calendar. Source

Technology Tools and Using Them

So after I finished typing this all up and tried to publish, the webpage reloaded and it didn't save anything from what I previously wrote.... So lets try this again!

As much as I like to use pencil, pen, and paper when doing stuff for class (anyone else follow those hashtags for hella organized notes?), there is something nice about just having everything on one page of my web browser, even if there are a bunch of tabs open. That's one of the nice things about an online class and the tools that may be used for it. And of course, it's especially satisfying to close a bunch of tabs after you're done with a project.

Of course I am already familiar with Blogger, thanks to last semester, and to Google Docs thanks to previous years of use. I think I need to start using Google Docs for things like writing down ideas and keeping stuff organized, rather than relying solely on Word on my computer. (I’m already using Blogger, I might as well give in and use other things Google has created).

It is also nice that Canvas is minimally involved. In the past I’ve found it a bit clunky to use, and occasionally annoying. Other than that, I’m neutral towards it. 

In an ironic twist, I’ve used Google Docs to try and retype this up. This may be what I have to do in the future…. 

Alternative caption: “Why do I need to charge my computer already?” Source

How Not to Mess Up On Assignments This Semester

Since I was enrolled in this course last semester, before having to withdraw for health reasons, nothing came up as a surprise in this course. That being said, of course the goal this year is to do better than last time.

Flexibility in the assignments is great, and is definitely something to take advantage of. Towards the end I did struggle with turning stuff in right at the last minute (into the grace period that is), so ideally that is a Thing I Will Not Do this semester. The storytellings were also pretty fun, once I got the hang of it. 

I think the Big Project is where I'm going to struggle, since that was something I never really got off the ground last semester. I'll have to think over which format I want to do, and how to go about it. I do have a couple bare-bone ideas I might be able to build into something.

Some of the extra credit assignments are pretty fun. I did one of the Wiki Trails once, and basically spent a couple hours telling my boyfriend and his roommates about the different tropes that appear in TV. I ended up having a hard time making a blog post that was short enough, actually. 

So, all in all, nothing unexpected, I just need to actually Do The Things this semester.

Me a lot of the time. Source

Thoughts on Growth Mindset

The idea of growth mindset is an interesting one. As I felt last time, I think that while the theory is good in person, execution is a bit of a different matter. Yes, it is better to focus on more than just someone's grades. Their effort should also be taken into consideration. But I think there's a danger in focusing solely on participation. I'm sure everyone remembers the "participation" trophies that were passed out in the days of elementary school, or for being in a pee-wee soccer league. My generation never asked for these; it was the adults who gave them out freely, and now complain about how the current generation feels "entitled" to things (I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was unreasonable to ask for a living wage or the ability to find decent living conditions). 

As A. Kohn pointed out in his articles, kids do know the difference between praise for effort and praise for intelligence. Overdoing it on the former can be just as bad for kids' self-esteem. Additionally, kids may feel that they put in a lot of effort, but for whatever reason it doesn't come out as good as another kid who had more resources. Rick Wormeli did a good job of laying this out clearly. Kids in low-income areas are going to greatly suffer from a lack of resources, which causes a much bigger problem than making sure the kids receive adequate phrase for their efforts. Back to what Kohn said, growth mindset isn't enough against political, cultural, and economical barriers. While it seems like a good idea in theory, actually achieving it is a difficult matter, and there are more failure stories than successes. 

While intrinsic motivation is important, it doesn't mean that extrinsic motivation is a bad thing. Having an internal drive to do things is good and well, but it's also okay to have external forces as a motivation (such as wanting to lose weight to look good in an outfit). Additionally, while the idea of growth mindset is a good one, many of the quotes that fall into that category are often quoted to aneurotypical people. It's not enough to just quote these things at people, or just rely on growth mindset alone. It's just one tool that should be used. 

That said, some of those motivational quotes can be pretty funny (this is a repeat from last time, but its still funny): 

Cha cha real smooth now. Source: Tes Teach

Introduction Post

Hello all, my name is Madison Salem, and I’m very awkward at introductions, but I’ll give it a shot anyway.

 Really Awkward, from Introvert Doodles

First, the basics: I’m a Psychology major with a minor in Biology, and hopefully I’ll graduate in May. After that I’d like to go to graduate school and study the psychology of fiction, and why people do things such as cosplay, fanfiction, etc. (If this sounds familiar, Dr. Barnes at OU studies this niche. I get to work in her lab this semester and I’m very excited about it)

Tumblr post, creator unknown (source)

Some fun facts now: I’m an alumni of the Pride of Oklahoma (that makes me feel really old now). This was my first year not doing marching band, and while I did have four years of fun, I definitely needed to focus on school and couldn’t fit band into my schedule this last semester. I do miss it though, especially getting into games for free and all the free travel! 

Those long sleeves weren't fun at the beginning of the season. Picture taken by me, source.

I carried the Big 12 flag during the band's pregame show my junior year, and got to carry the OU flag at two games, including Houston (picture source).

Things that I do a lot: reading, Netflix, surfing the internet, and knitting. I would say I’m a beginning knitter, but I’ve been able to make some decent scarves. In fact I’ve been known to knit during class, as my previous professors can testify. 

I made this scarf for my dad's birthday. Source: my Ravelry page 

This scarf was made for fun. Source: my Ravelry page

I’m also a Deadpool fan, a Beauty and the Beast fan, and a major Harry Potter fan. That was one of the great things about going to Scotland: it’s where J. K. Rowling lives and where she wrote the books, so I got to see a lot of the places that inspired her, like the graveyards, the streets, and other things.

Me at Platform 9 3/4 in London. (This is a personal picture that I haven't posted online, so there's no linked source.)

For one brief moment I was in the queue to see the play The Cursed Child for a reduced rate. Source: Facebook

Then the dream died. Source: Facebook

I should also say that I am a believer of the philosophy that there is no such thing as owning too many books. Some may disagree (like my wallet), but I just live my life.

My basic book stats. Source: Goodreads

And that's me! If you have any questions just leave a comment and I'll answer when I can!

Storybook Favorites: The Twisted Ones

Without much introduction, and in no particular order, here are the three storybooks I found the most interesting: 

Lost in the Woods, by Kelly Barksdale

From the title page; this picture definitely sets the mood for Kelly's stories

Kelly's introduction is an interesting setup: a search party has been organized to find a missing student in a wooded area, and each of the groups ends up telling a myth/story that involves woods (for example, Hansel and Gretel). I really liked this format: her introduction doesn't outright tell you what stories there are or the purpose of the storybook. You don't figure it out until the second story, when you realize each group is telling stories to distract themselves from the task at hand. The ending is also nice, as it ties into the stereotype of the stories.

Tragically Ever After, by Anon

Also from the title page; a gloomy picture for gloomy stories

Just like the title says, these are about the afters of fairy tales, and why they may not be happy. The characters may have been happy for a short period of time, but then life comes in and causes doom and gloom. I like the variety that the author created: in two of the stories there's death, but one is just that the marriage simply isn't suitable, but the characters have to go through with it anyway. Depressing, definitely. But interesting takes on the stories. 

Happily Ever After? A Prince's Perspective, by Kate Brandon

From the title page; suddenly the mess of the seven dwarves don't look so bad

This one is a mix between the other two storybooks I looked at, as it doesn't straight retell the stories, but also has a "what-if" component. This has each of the princes from various tales questioning what their life would be like if they didn't rescue the princess. Of course it's always better that they found their princess, so there's still a happily ever after. It's a bit stereotypical (it's very G rated and follows along the It's a Wonderful life plot), but a fun, light read all the same.

My Favorite Place: Scotland, Both City and Country

A little over a year ago, in June 2017, I got to travel to Scotland as part of a study-abroad program (in other words, I convinced my parents to pay for it by explaining I would get class credit). This program was practically tailored for me: titled "Psychology in Scotland," I was in Scotland for the entire month of June, got my capstone class out of the way, and got As in both the classes I took there. Traveling to Scotland was a once in a lifetime experience, and I have made it an item on my bucket list to return there again someday, either as a visit or a permanent resident.

As it turns out, Scotland in June is a perfect time to visit. Winters there can get extremely cold, but while I was there the weather hovered between 40°F and 75°F (it never got above 80°). It was rainy and sometimes chilly, but overall very pleasant. More so than Oklahoma weather, by far.

One of the more fascinating things about visiting Scotland is just the history there. Unlike Oklahoma (and the United States in general), there are buildings in Scotland that are literally centuries old. One of these places that we visited was the Edinburgh Castle, which overlooks the city.

A view of Edinburgh Castle. This is the entrance to the castle, where all visitors enter. Source: Visit Scotland

A personal picture I took of my ticket in front of Edinburgh Castle; photo from June 2017

An overview of the city of Edinburgh from the Castle; personal photo from June 2017

The castle was amazing to tour. I got an audio guide (which I highly recommend for any kind of tours or museums) and just wandered around for an hour while examining things that were older than the United States government. 

While the cities in Scotland are amazing for their architecture, history, and overall appearance, the countryside was in a class of its own. As part of the program, the class and professors went on an overnight bus trip up north to Inverness. The bus had a tour guide who stopped at various locations, such as Loch Ness, to show off the country. The weather wasn't always quite cooperative during the trip, but it was still an incredible experience.

A view of the Scottish countryside; personal photo from June 2017

Image information: a different view; personal photo from June 2017

Both of the photos were taken on my phone through a bus window. It still doesn't do justice to the view of course, but I keep these images as the lock and home screen on my phone so I can be reminded of my experience of a lifetime whenever I want.

I look forward to the day when I can go back again. While I definitely took some pieces of Scotland back with me (both souvenirs and memories), I almost feel like I left a part of myself there. All the better reason to return.

Test Post

Testing, 1 2 3 testing.

All systems seem normal

We thank you for flying Air MythBlog 2.0,

Enjoy this picture of me with a cat tail in my face