we're all mad here, pt. 2.

I have a philosophy paper on health ethics due tomorrow at midnight. Most of today was spent at school, feverishly trying to figure out what question to write about (being close to the last minute and all). After dinner, Andrew and I occupied a table at Starbucks for a good three hours, where I managed to churn out one thousand words on why autonomy was the most important consideration in ethics, and that people can do whatever they want with their body so long as it did not harm others. My problem? We had to either agree or disagree with the claim: no fence-sitting. I, of course, agreed with only half of it... so, now what? My take was that harm to others should not be the sole concern that can interfere with self-determination, nor should it be an unmoving claim. Can you make a decision to end your life if you are considered to be mentally incompetent? If we say that people can never exercise agency if it will harm another, is abortion not a valid choice if it is one day determined that it causes "harm" to a fetus? I kept thinking of too many possibilities that would require disproving too many objections.

At around 12:30am, I decided that this was not the topic for me. In the past few hours, I have listened to the Drake EP on repeat approximately four times (should I have to hazard a guess) and have written another one thousand words... on whether questions that arise from new medical technologies are actually new medical concerns.

Is this a cop-out for an easier question? I don't think so... prepping for the first question made me realize a lot of things about my own personal values and beliefs, but I don't think it had the makings of a good grade. I feel more confident about what I wrote, hurriedly, at the ungodly (but not untypical, for me) hour of 3:00am than what I did earlier today. I should trust my gut more often.

pink toenails

Blog blog blog.

I never keep these up because I think I don't have anything to write/others might want to read. I thought of something that I wanted to write about earlier, but it's completely escaped me... I'm going to keep this up anyway.

I got home from work at 9:00, had some supper then headed over to Susan's. We made cookies and painted our nails and watched Clueless in memory of Brittany Murphy. I had that one, along with Girl, Interrupted and Don't Say A Word. On the way home I picked up a new sketchbook and some inky pens. Last year, I bought Danny Gregory's book The Creative License. My plan is to draw my way through it and keep with it.

The whole time I was doing my Master's, I didn't really take "me" time, but I wasted a ton of time. It was hard that way, because I wasn't getting things done and I never felt like I got a break. My online journal (when I wrote in it) was always about school. I'm still in school... doing a Social Work degree, but this time will be different. I'm really going to try to get involved in things outside of school and to focus on those parts of my life. I'm excited.

I remembered what I wanted earlier.

Gill is home from the UK for Christmas - we went to pick her up at the airport last night. The place was packed with so many people coming home for the holidays. Gill's parents were there, and were talking to another couple. Their son came out from the baggage claim and was SO vibrant and energetic. He dropped his bags off and then was going about the crowd talking to people he knew. Apparently he's been all over the world and is going to Europe next year... I was totally jealous. All the same, I knew this could just have easily had been me. There's nothing stopping me from traveling! Or moving. I really do love my program, but sometimes I wish I had applied elsewhere so I could have that experience.

At the same time, I still have two "student summers" left.

So I just need to make full use of them.