My first year of college, I took a writing course with a professor who ran his class more like a boot-camp from hell rather than a university lecture hall.
This answers why you have an uncanny ability to use a wide array of words to perfectly describe feelings and situations. Not "ten-dollar words", more very simple but accurate ones.
Loved the description of the rabbit holes it sends you, makes me think of a variety of situations where analog vs digital brings a less speedy, but deeper, more thorough experience. Like the act of putting on a vinyl vs. Spotify. Or making your own drip coffee vs. buying a pre-made one. There's magic in all that. I'd never thought about it with a dictionary, so now I will start carrying one everywhere (haha).
Also, I think you're lucky for having had a wide array of characters as professors!
Oh man. Exactly!! My use of Spotify is literally ALWAYS on my mind. Sometimes I wonder if I should just forego it to escape the algorithm and immense optionality. I wonder how my experience and relationship to music would change if I ditched it. It's honestly been so tempting to me lately. Might be worth experimenting soon.
I feel like making coffee and tea at home, whether pour over, french press, loose leaf, etc. is probably how they should be experienced. Anytime I get Starbucks, I get SO disappointed in myself because the only reason I ever buy it is purely convenience from them having an app that makes it easy to just order and pick up.
Hahaha, please get a dictionary and carry it with you EVERYWHERE.
The Dictionary Guy™️. Thank you for following along with my unexpected "Meet Sandra's College Professors" series. Stay tuned!
Yeah, I get the temptation haha although we both lived in the pre-Spotify era and it was definitely cool, but there's probably some romanticization about it too. I'm actually kind of happy of having both options and being able to choose between discovering so many new artists on Spotify AND playing a complete album on vinyl, or making myself a drip coffee on weekends AND buying a quick americano from the coffee place on the corner.
Except on the dictionary vs Google, I'm now going full dictionary mode. No choosing there.
Wowowowowowowowow I’ve reread this like 3 times because I’m so captivated by your story, these words you’re uncovering and their serendipitous meanings, AND by your tactile to mental connection. I can see myself, in your shoes, reading this dictionary. I love it.
I think I’m gonna go get a dictionary. I’m resonating too much with your googling experience lol
Thank you sergeant professor for teaching Sandra the ways of the dictionary so she can teach them to us. 🫡
Your professor reminds me of a teacher I had in high school. He wasn’t sergeant like, but serious about art history and if someone was studying something else in class, he’d grab their book, chuck it down the hallway, slam the door and resume class lol
lol Let's get you the BIGGEST dictionary possible. Like, comically large. You do like to look up words! It's the perfect opportunity for you to wear a monocle too.
I don't know if I need to teach anyone how to use a dictionary, but I've definitely met TONS of kids who don't know how to use them. It's wild.
"Sergeant professor" el oh el
Your teacher sounds INTENSE. *shaking face emoji* Mine was definitely not that chaotic. Um. I hope they were fired? That's not okay. I guess art history really fired them up haha 😅
Wow, what a wonderfully discursive and recursive trip into the world of serendipity! When I crave for serendipity/distraction, my instincts are to reach out to Twitter, Reddit or YouTube. It's not be efficient. It's not to get things done. And yet... there is a distinct shallowness in most of those interactions. Is it like junk food for serendipity? It's lacking this elusive quality that you depict so well here... a slow food that satiates and energizes rather than leaving me craving for more memes or news or whatever is the current thing...
That's interesting, Chao! I can see why you'd say there's a shallowness to Reddit and YouTube, but I feel like depending on the rabbit holes you go down on those sites, maybe not? They definitely don't have that meditative quality I feel with a physical book--junk food for serendipity is a great way of putting it! 😂
Yes, once a while (but not often enough), I do find a wonderful rabbit hole to dive into. But the signal to noise ratio isn't high enough, more often it's something that is interesting enough to make me wonder if the elusive next one could be better? Does dictionary diving reliably take you to delightful rabbit holes?
"more often it's something that is interesting enough to make me wonder if the elusive next one could be better?" Chao, you sound like a rabbit hole addict lol
I feel like I didn't hit on this hard enough, but in thinking on it more, I feel like the experience is more about the meditative aspect for me.
A slow dance with words <3 I love this interest-led journey of your exploration of words through the old and new. It felt like a sweet ballet reading this piece, thanks for sharing.
This answers why you have an uncanny ability to use a wide array of words to perfectly describe feelings and situations. Not "ten-dollar words", more very simple but accurate ones.
Loved the description of the rabbit holes it sends you, makes me think of a variety of situations where analog vs digital brings a less speedy, but deeper, more thorough experience. Like the act of putting on a vinyl vs. Spotify. Or making your own drip coffee vs. buying a pre-made one. There's magic in all that. I'd never thought about it with a dictionary, so now I will start carrying one everywhere (haha).
Also, I think you're lucky for having had a wide array of characters as professors!
Oh man. Exactly!! My use of Spotify is literally ALWAYS on my mind. Sometimes I wonder if I should just forego it to escape the algorithm and immense optionality. I wonder how my experience and relationship to music would change if I ditched it. It's honestly been so tempting to me lately. Might be worth experimenting soon.
I feel like making coffee and tea at home, whether pour over, french press, loose leaf, etc. is probably how they should be experienced. Anytime I get Starbucks, I get SO disappointed in myself because the only reason I ever buy it is purely convenience from them having an app that makes it easy to just order and pick up.
Hahaha, please get a dictionary and carry it with you EVERYWHERE.
The Dictionary Guy™️. Thank you for following along with my unexpected "Meet Sandra's College Professors" series. Stay tuned!
Yeah, I get the temptation haha although we both lived in the pre-Spotify era and it was definitely cool, but there's probably some romanticization about it too. I'm actually kind of happy of having both options and being able to choose between discovering so many new artists on Spotify AND playing a complete album on vinyl, or making myself a drip coffee on weekends AND buying a quick americano from the coffee place on the corner.
Except on the dictionary vs Google, I'm now going full dictionary mode. No choosing there.
Wowowowowowowowow I’ve reread this like 3 times because I’m so captivated by your story, these words you’re uncovering and their serendipitous meanings, AND by your tactile to mental connection. I can see myself, in your shoes, reading this dictionary. I love it.
I think I’m gonna go get a dictionary. I’m resonating too much with your googling experience lol
Thank you sergeant professor for teaching Sandra the ways of the dictionary so she can teach them to us. 🫡
Your professor reminds me of a teacher I had in high school. He wasn’t sergeant like, but serious about art history and if someone was studying something else in class, he’d grab their book, chuck it down the hallway, slam the door and resume class lol
lol Let's get you the BIGGEST dictionary possible. Like, comically large. You do like to look up words! It's the perfect opportunity for you to wear a monocle too.
I don't know if I need to teach anyone how to use a dictionary, but I've definitely met TONS of kids who don't know how to use them. It's wild.
"Sergeant professor" el oh el
Your teacher sounds INTENSE. *shaking face emoji* Mine was definitely not that chaotic. Um. I hope they were fired? That's not okay. I guess art history really fired them up haha 😅
Wow, what a wonderfully discursive and recursive trip into the world of serendipity! When I crave for serendipity/distraction, my instincts are to reach out to Twitter, Reddit or YouTube. It's not be efficient. It's not to get things done. And yet... there is a distinct shallowness in most of those interactions. Is it like junk food for serendipity? It's lacking this elusive quality that you depict so well here... a slow food that satiates and energizes rather than leaving me craving for more memes or news or whatever is the current thing...
That's interesting, Chao! I can see why you'd say there's a shallowness to Reddit and YouTube, but I feel like depending on the rabbit holes you go down on those sites, maybe not? They definitely don't have that meditative quality I feel with a physical book--junk food for serendipity is a great way of putting it! 😂
Yes, once a while (but not often enough), I do find a wonderful rabbit hole to dive into. But the signal to noise ratio isn't high enough, more often it's something that is interesting enough to make me wonder if the elusive next one could be better? Does dictionary diving reliably take you to delightful rabbit holes?
"more often it's something that is interesting enough to make me wonder if the elusive next one could be better?" Chao, you sound like a rabbit hole addict lol
I feel like I didn't hit on this hard enough, but in thinking on it more, I feel like the experience is more about the meditative aspect for me.
Ah right, there is definitely nothing meditative about watching YouTube videos
A slow dance with words <3 I love this interest-led journey of your exploration of words through the old and new. It felt like a sweet ballet reading this piece, thanks for sharing.
Sweet ballet!! Oh, I wish. Thank you for reading, as always, Kelly!