A New Answer

In a recent post I discussed the angst that I associate with the question "What do you do?" In light of my rather strong and predominantly negative responses, I suggested alternative questions. A second solution would be an alternative response. 


A friend recently told me she considers me to be "a graduate student of life." It sounds trite, perhaps a little sugar-coated, but there is some truth to it. Based on my observations, graduate students - among other things - learn, and if nothing else, what I'm doing at this point in my life is learning. Learning all sorts of things that I didn't know I didn't know. I'm not enrolled in any classes or through any institution, but in the dreadfully cliched school of life I'm quite a newbie. Hence, my new response to the dreaded question, "What do you do?" I learn.


A list of things I have learned since moving to Kansas City:


1. Free cell phones are not really free. Everything costs something, usually more than you expect.
2. A gallon of gas is typically, but not always cheaper than a gallon of milk (depending on where you  purchase either item).
3. Some cars have pads and other cars have drums and shoes where brakes are concerned. Neither are cheap to replace.
4. There is a part of a car called a strut. There is a part of a strut called the strut mount. When it breaks, your car (or at least my car) loses its ability to absorb shock and makes terrible noises when it encounters any unsmooth surface. The cost of replacing this piece of the car is the equivalent of replacing both rear brakes and shoes (with realignment thrown in).
5. Fresh basil is potent.
6. It is possible to set off a smoke alarm without actually burning anything.
7. Changing a tire is easier when you have AAA.
8. First Fridays are best attended as singles or pairs.
9. It is possible to use too much garlic.
10. The Dollar Tree is a good place to purchase cleaning products, but not cosmetics.
11. When you meet someone new, you should not tell them you would like to "grab coffee" or "do lunch" if you have no intention of seeing them again.
12. Craigslist is useful for many things. Finding an entry level job (in my experience) is not one of them.
13. Being unemployed is more difficult than one might think, and until you experience it you should not try to empathize.
14. A college degree does not necessarily mean it will be any easier for you to find a job when you graduate from college.
15. If a car advertised on the Internet sounds too good to be true, it is. 
16. Reading can be a habit, a discipline, an escape, a past time, a trial, and an addiction.
17. There are people who actually love what they do and do what they love.
18. Most people do not.
19. The interstate can be a very scary place and should be entered with caution.
20. Spending hours on the computer does not make you a productive person.
21. I need to see trees and smell flowers and walk outside in order to maintain my sanity.
22. The US Postal Service is underused.
23. Contrary to what I read in the first chapter of Genesis, it can be good to be alone.
24. Aldi is a prime place to buy milk, eggs, bread and cucumbers.
25. Canning can be a social activity.
26. It is possible to form relationships through hour-long games of Nerts.
27. Bubble tea is strange and delicious.
28. Kansas libraries do not offer free printing.
29. In Kansas City, KS numbered streets run north and south. In Kansas City, MO numbered streets run east and west. (This is a cruel trick to play on someone with my sense of direction).
30. You shouldn't bid on items you don't really want to buy on ebay.


That's just a start, and a lot of it is pretty simple. More difficult has been learning how to develop a sense of identity outside of occupation; learning what it means to be "responsible" when there isn't anyone telling me what to do; learning how to budget when I don't have an income; and figuring out how to structure an unstructured existence. There are so many things I need to learn that I don't know how I'll possibly find time to work, if and when that opportunity does come around. For the time being I'm learning. And that really is enough right now.