Intentional Living

Bruce Springsteen once said in a song, "I learned more from a three minute record baby, than we ever learned in school".

My sister texted me this line this morning with impeccable timing, as I was deciding whether to use my one skip for my drawing class.  I did a quick flash back on my college experience, and decided that for me, I learned more from a three hour conversation baby, then I ever learned in school.  So I said the heck with it, I am skipping class.  So I met up with a good friend who I had previously couldn't get together with due to the over-busyness of our schedules.  This meet up turned into a two and a half hour laugh, giggle, silly session as we talked over lunch and then re-located to a isolated couch in a back, un-busy hall of the union.  This glow of friendship stayed with me as I sprawled out on that sun warmed couch with a good book.  For the next hour and a half I didn't mind the strange looks I got as people walked passed me in my half dozing off, half reading consciousness. I left for work with a bounce in my step, and some free time to get some water at the drinking fountain and write about my glowy-ness in my journal.  

You see, lately I have been trying to be more intentional with my time.  I want to look back at my college experience and remember these unexpected days of joy and moments of learning.  This is why I am journaling.  I feel that with the pressure to be over-involved and over- scheduled, that we look back and remember a rushed blur as well as overlook the small moments and the friendships that taught us more than that class or club ever did.  I am trying to fight the societal norm that your time is wasted if not every minute of it was in pursuit of productiveness.  Therefore, comes the intentional living part.  While I don't advise doing this by making a regular habit of skipping your classes, I do advise starting a journal to start celebrating the small, full of live moments, to stay up a little extra late for a great conversation, turn off the TV and computer, de-schedule and de-commit from clubs and activities you only have half of your heart in and bask in the glory of a grassy knoll or in my case, a blue couch.