Today, I graduated. I now have a Master's degree. And, I gotta tell ya (excuse my slang), it feels really good. I'm proud of myself. I am the first woman in my immediate family to receive a Master's degree--not because the other women in my family couldn't get one, just because their life took a different course. And I feel like this is me doing something because I chose to do it, rather than me following in footsteps (Dear women in my family: You have left me excellent footsteps to follow in, and I am grateful). I am also proud, because I have set 5 major goals for my life, things I want to accomplish, and this is the first one I get to cross of the list. It is seriously exciting.
I have really cherished this experience. There was a pretty long gap between my undergraduate and graduate education, and while I loved my undergraduate experience, I treasure this one. I feel like I have grown so much as a person, and really become something. I can't say I feel like I know how to deal with everything in life, but I do feel like I am capable. I am intelligent. I never would have seen myself as who I am, and you know what? I like myself. I really do.
I also treasure the people I have met here. I am going to miss our little graduate program community. I know we are all going to go different directions, but I plan to keep in touch with them and I am glad we will still be able to interact professionally, because it's great to have your friends as your colleagues (and vice versa). So, congratulations to all of them, too, because they have done a great thing.
I am so grateful for the opportunities I have had. I don't know what the future will bring--right now it is pretty uncertain, but I this has been a wonderful adventure and I hope the next one is just as good.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Laughter: The Best Medicine
Life is hard. Not that it is rotten and miserable, but it is hard, and sometimes, it is harder than others. How do you tell how hard life is? For me, I can tell how hard things are by how long it takes to be able to laugh at them. For example, the time I got hit by a truck while riding my bike home. Kind of rotten, but really, it makes a fantastic story, and I was laughing about it a couple of hours later. Having my appendix rupture during my first semester of college? Surprisingly comical. (No, really: a jeep with no shocks, the potato-dog-fish, being totally out of it and trying to make sense, an entire day of tests to figure out what was the problem, and the determining factor was hitting the bottom of my feet. It is hilarious).
Some things are so hard that we never laugh about them. But you know you are going to be okay if you can still laugh and smile during them. Not that you have to do that constantly, but if you can still find things to laugh at, then you haven't hit rock bottom. Rock bottom is a place I hope none of you ever go. It is not a pretty place. It's hard, and rocky. So, yeah.
Right now, I don't feel much like laughing most of the time. But, I have been listening to back episodes of Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, partly to keep me from focusing too much on how stressed I am, partly because it doesn't involve a lot of brain power, which means I can listen while I work on stuff, and a lot because it makes me laugh. It really does. And, I like to hear myself laugh, because it tells me I still feel things, and I can still laugh, and I'm going to be okay. So, yeah. Laughter, it really is good medicine.
Some things are so hard that we never laugh about them. But you know you are going to be okay if you can still laugh and smile during them. Not that you have to do that constantly, but if you can still find things to laugh at, then you haven't hit rock bottom. Rock bottom is a place I hope none of you ever go. It is not a pretty place. It's hard, and rocky. So, yeah.
Right now, I don't feel much like laughing most of the time. But, I have been listening to back episodes of Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, partly to keep me from focusing too much on how stressed I am, partly because it doesn't involve a lot of brain power, which means I can listen while I work on stuff, and a lot because it makes me laugh. It really does. And, I like to hear myself laugh, because it tells me I still feel things, and I can still laugh, and I'm going to be okay. So, yeah. Laughter, it really is good medicine.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Font Use: A General Guide
I spent three years doing work that involved using and knowing a bit about fonts, and in the process, became a bit of a fontist, and I am the first to admit I can be a bit snobbish about fonts. Not that I am by any means a professional snob about it. It's just a hobby of mine. (People think this is weird, but when you do something 8+ hours a day, it becomes a piece of you. This is why we talk shop outside of work). I tend to pick out fonts, and I notice how they are used. And I notice odd things like the shapes of letters, from time to time.
If you are at all aware of anything to do with fonts, you will know that there is a big stink about Comic Sans. People hate it. There is an anti-movement that, while less publicized than the Occupy movement, has lasted considerably longer. The problem, though, isn't with the font. The problem is with how it has been used. So, as a font snob, here is a basic guide to font usage for anyone who is interested.
1. Most fonts have an appropriate use. (I'm still not sure what the use of wingdings is, but if I were 10, and wanted to type a coded letter to a friend, I'd consider using wingdings). I'm not going to rule out the possibility that there is a font out there that has absolutely no logical use, but I think generally, there is probably a time and a place for every font. Even Comic Sans. For example, if you are teaching kids to read, Comic Sans is one of the best fonts to use. If you are writing a comic book, Comic Sans is great. If you are designing corporate letterhead? Not so much. Unless you are a corporation of 6-year olds.
2. Fonts create an image. Before using a font, consider what image you want to create. On my resume, I use Garamond--it has an elegance to it that is not as standard as what Times New Roman offers, and because I'm an archivist, the serifs add a touch of old school classicness that I find appropriate. Now, if I were in a more tech industry, I'd go with a Sans Serif font. It all depends on what image you want.
3. Not everything requires a unique font. When I write papers, I do not spend time thinking about what font to use. It's a paper. Go with your standards: Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri (I am really liking this new choice as a default), etc. Don't over think it. And, for a paper, no, you probably shouldn't use Comic Sans.
4. Keep it simple. You know how they say too many fonts on a resume is bad? That is just a good rule in general. Too many fonts on anything is pretty tacky. Now, I create projects that involve lots of pages, and I like to customize and vary my fonts--but not on the same page. Spread it out. (I think one exception was I had a page where I printed off a bunch of quotes people had said. In that case, I did use a different font for each quote, and I think it worked okay. But as a general rule, this is a no-no).
5. Just because Comic Sans is out, doesn't mean we should all start using Papyrus. I swear, Papyrus is becoming the new Comic Sans. Papyrus is a nice font, and has it's uses--it has a nice elegant look to it, but it does NOT belong on the menu for a Mexican restaurant. And it isn't exactly the image I'd choose for a landscaping company. It's a bit weird to see it on the side of a truck. Remember rule 1?
6. After some point, there are really only so many serif/sans serif fonts a person needs. Or script fonts. Or any other kind of font. So, before you download every font known to man, consider how many you have like it. (This is for all you font collectors. I have this problem. And after a while, I find I mostly use fonts beginning with A, because the list of fonts to search through is too long to make it to z). Most people aren't going to notice the difference between the serifs or the shape of your O, so why bother having them?
7. Fonts are fun. And specialty fonts are fun to have. But, the only time I will ever use my Doctor Seuss font is if I am hosting a Doctor Seuss party. Remember Rules 1 and 2.
So there you have it. My basic guide to fonts. It is by no means comprehensive, but it is a good general set of guidelines for you. Now, go, enjoy the fonts around you.
If you are at all aware of anything to do with fonts, you will know that there is a big stink about Comic Sans. People hate it. There is an anti-movement that, while less publicized than the Occupy movement, has lasted considerably longer. The problem, though, isn't with the font. The problem is with how it has been used. So, as a font snob, here is a basic guide to font usage for anyone who is interested.
1. Most fonts have an appropriate use. (I'm still not sure what the use of wingdings is, but if I were 10, and wanted to type a coded letter to a friend, I'd consider using wingdings). I'm not going to rule out the possibility that there is a font out there that has absolutely no logical use, but I think generally, there is probably a time and a place for every font. Even Comic Sans. For example, if you are teaching kids to read, Comic Sans is one of the best fonts to use. If you are writing a comic book, Comic Sans is great. If you are designing corporate letterhead? Not so much. Unless you are a corporation of 6-year olds.
2. Fonts create an image. Before using a font, consider what image you want to create. On my resume, I use Garamond--it has an elegance to it that is not as standard as what Times New Roman offers, and because I'm an archivist, the serifs add a touch of old school classicness that I find appropriate. Now, if I were in a more tech industry, I'd go with a Sans Serif font. It all depends on what image you want.
3. Not everything requires a unique font. When I write papers, I do not spend time thinking about what font to use. It's a paper. Go with your standards: Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri (I am really liking this new choice as a default), etc. Don't over think it. And, for a paper, no, you probably shouldn't use Comic Sans.
4. Keep it simple. You know how they say too many fonts on a resume is bad? That is just a good rule in general. Too many fonts on anything is pretty tacky. Now, I create projects that involve lots of pages, and I like to customize and vary my fonts--but not on the same page. Spread it out. (I think one exception was I had a page where I printed off a bunch of quotes people had said. In that case, I did use a different font for each quote, and I think it worked okay. But as a general rule, this is a no-no).
5. Just because Comic Sans is out, doesn't mean we should all start using Papyrus. I swear, Papyrus is becoming the new Comic Sans. Papyrus is a nice font, and has it's uses--it has a nice elegant look to it, but it does NOT belong on the menu for a Mexican restaurant. And it isn't exactly the image I'd choose for a landscaping company. It's a bit weird to see it on the side of a truck. Remember rule 1?
6. After some point, there are really only so many serif/sans serif fonts a person needs. Or script fonts. Or any other kind of font. So, before you download every font known to man, consider how many you have like it. (This is for all you font collectors. I have this problem. And after a while, I find I mostly use fonts beginning with A, because the list of fonts to search through is too long to make it to z). Most people aren't going to notice the difference between the serifs or the shape of your O, so why bother having them?
7. Fonts are fun. And specialty fonts are fun to have. But, the only time I will ever use my Doctor Seuss font is if I am hosting a Doctor Seuss party. Remember Rules 1 and 2.
So there you have it. My basic guide to fonts. It is by no means comprehensive, but it is a good general set of guidelines for you. Now, go, enjoy the fonts around you.
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