Review Week 11

My Senior year of high school we had one week devoted to studying the history of the english language and it was one of my favorite weeks of school. I love learning about the history behind all languages and I think the history of English is just such a clear representation of conquering and mixing. The version I heard was slightly different, but the same basic history. 

(TheUnNovelist.com)

I love this graphic because it truly makes me imagine a writer with a brush, making broad strokes across the page and the words appearing. When I think about a writer using all the colors, I think that a writer must go beyond what is comfortable. Perhaps what is comfortable are the blues. But one must explore different stories, different characters, different places, genres, and styles of writing! Only when one has experimented with a variety of factors is a writers using all the colors! 

Famous Last Words: Rest and Recovery

Monday morning I wrote about how I was diagnosed with strep as a continuation of my health woes of this semester. Well, the doctor said some strain of strep, even though the test was negative. He was sure of it. Come Wednesday morning I was feeling even worse, even though the doctor at urgent care had said that I should be good to return to work and school. I knew something had to be wrong when I couldn't swallow, my temperature was getting higher, and I was supposed to be good to return to school while taking the antibiotics. So I went to Goddard and I have to say I had a great experience at our university health clinic! I have never bothered going but now I wish I had utilized their services since Freshman year. The nurse and nurse practitioner were so kind, especially since I was so frustrated with not knowing what was going on with my body!

Turns out I had mono! Apparently some people react to mono with symptoms that so mirror strep, the only way to know is taking a blood sample. But they also tested for other strains of strep and guess what! I also have a strain of strep! But the antibiotics I was on react poorly with mono, hence why I was getting worse.

So Monday through Saturday, I haven't gone to any of my three jobs or class. I finally feel like I have recovered from both strep and mono. Perhaps this is TMI, but y'all, this has been my whole week. This is all I have been thinking about. Today I was finally feeling energized enough to do some assignments.

Chart of mono symptoms
Source: Wikipedia

But I would just like to say to TAKE YOUR HEALTH CONCERNS SERIOUSLY. For over a month I have been going to doctors and counselors telling them how I have been falling asleep while trying to do readings for class, zero energy for fun and hobbies, extreme loss of appetite, and just a general lackluster motivation. None took me seriously, just saying that I need more sleep and I have senioritis. I was so frustrated with myself. Well, it turns out mono doesn't start showing symptoms for 4-7 weeks, meaning I have probably had mono for over two months. My body has been fighting off this horrible virus. No wonder I've been tired!! So I am going to talk to my professors and hopefully they will be understanding about my situation and why I have fallen behind academically.

Wikipedia Trails: Lakshmi to Simeon Stylites

Lakshmi: I chose to start with Lakshmi because I noticed that for two separate stories for two separate reasons, I had used Lakshmi as my image. Her images always show such a beautiful elegant goddess and so I wanted to read a summary of why she is important as a Hindu deity.

Jainism: Lakshmi's article said that she is also an important goddess in Jainism. While I had heard of Jainism during my Intro to Asian Philosophy religion, I can't remember much about it now three years later. The article says that the main difference between Hinduism and Jainism is that the self is finite in Jainism.

Asceticism: Jainism has a strong ascetic tradition, and I wanted to learn more about this lifestyle. This means abstaining from material or physical pleasure. This can be either natural or unnatural asceticism. I thought it was interesting that unnatural asceticism includes self-harm and physical pain.

Icon of Simeon Stylites
Source: Wikipedia

Simeon Stylites: I wanted to learn more about those who practiced unnatural asceticism which included self-inflicted pain to understand why they would do this. The article only specified one person who used self-inflicted pain and it was the Christian monk Simeon Stylites. He deprived himself of food and water often, and when he was sought out by so many for counsel, he sat a top a pillar so as not to be bothered and have time for devotion.