Asa Jay's weblog

I’ve just finished my Research and Writing course at Whitworth tonight. During our last night, our instructor took some time with us individually to solicit feedback about class, and to give us personalized feedback about her impressions of our writing. I found what she had to say enlightening and that I’m not really what I write, when I write for class.

I’m not really into writing essays. It probably goes back to that “think too much” thing, and the “test anxiety” I’ve had in the past. Here I am writing freely and coming through pretty clear, but when writing an essay, I seem to start “not being myself.” Subconsciously, I think I knew that was going on, but I think it took someone I respected, like my class instructor, to tell me what was really happening and make me see it up close.

Part of our class was spent on our own time posting messages to a discussion board. I did this with quite some zeal. I felt I had a lot of experience that I could relate, and in many discussions I felt I had something to say. My on line writing for the class was read by the instructor and gave her a good impression of who I was through my writing. Unfortunately when she started reading my essays, she started to wonder who had written them because they didn’t seem to be written by the same person.

The point she was making, was that my essay writing was very different than my personal writing. She was encouraging me to try and figure out why I was being different, and to try and overcome that difference so that more of “me” was coming out in my essays. I found it to be some pretty interesting feedback and we talked for a while, with me “analyzing” like I tend to do which was probably the wrong thing to do.

I’m sure my essay writing is stilted, because when writing papers outside of just personal expression, I tend to write in a technical fashion. Hmm, seems as though I’ve transferred that to my essay writing, and I need to stop. As I’m writing this, the words are coming freely and without much “pre-thought” to it. This is the kind of thing I need to bring to my essays. So from now on, I need to keep writing in my blog here, and when I do writing for class, I need to try and write in a similar fashion that I do here.

I think it was very valuable feedback, as I continue to work toward my degree and will be doing a lot of writing in the next two years. I’m a bit embarrassed about it all really, and I do need to concentrate on it more in the future, or perhaps I need to -not- think about it so much and just try to “be myself” when I write for class.

I need to get “me” into my essay writing, wish me luck.

Asa Jay

Sam has been home now for a week. His little bum is still a bit sore and he’s been fighting a persistent rash.  Shelley has been trying to take care of it and it’s starting to heal.  He’s eating well, but seems to have picked up a slight cold.

Last night he was very tired after having not slept very much the last couple of days.  I think he’s doing much better today after a good night of sleep.  So far, his surgery is causing him no problems, outside of the rash.  In the next day or so, we’ll be able to remove the dressing on his belly where the surgeons had to go into his abdomen.  I’m sure this will make him feel a little better. . . once the pain of removing it wears off.  🙂

We’ve received many cards and flowers from a whole lot of people.  We wish to thank all of them and have been doing so individually.  We are thankful for the blessings of having Sam with us, and for the blessings of all our friends who have prayed and kept in touch with us.

Thanks,
Asa Jay

It’s a noisy evening in the hospital. A baby cries like a forgotten lion cub in the distance. A cleaning man is seen travelling the hallways, washing and drying the floors in what looks like a miniature Zamboni. In Sam’s room, the sweat begins to bead on his forehead as the nurses come in.

Sam is only two and a half years old. He has come here, as if having been kidnapped by his parents, for reasons he doesn’t understand. He has not seen home in over five days. To him, home must seem like a dream, and he has finally awaken to the reality that is life.

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How does a person take a critical look at who they are? I don’t really know the answer to that, but the class I’m taking is sure causing me to think. As I continue to read the essays for our first week, I find myself being challenged to evaluate who I am, against what has been written.

Each essay is drawn in a different style; one is an interview, another is from a journalist, another written as a background piece on the person writing it. Although the styles have not provided anything new, the content in each has caused me to think more about my own reactions, to what I have read. Each essay has given me insight into other peoples attitudes, backgrounds, and personalities. When compared against my own ideals, it’s caused me to take a more critical look at myself; a more critical look at who I am.

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Last night, was my first time back in school for almost three years.  This time, instead of taking simple courses related to my current project or job, I am starting my path toward an actual four-year degree.  I’m starting out, with a basic course in Research and Writing.

This is a good way for me to get back into school.  As the course of study I have chosen will require a lot of writing, this class is going to be a good primer for me.  The focus will be on writing a total of four assigned papers.  The progression of the class will concentrate on the process of turning an idea, into a polished paper; progressing through first draft, revision, second draft/revision/repeat, to final draft.  Our instructor, giving us some insight into what usually happens without discipline, told us that most people will write a first draft, and then move right on to a final draft, without considering much in the way of revision.  We will be focusing on that most difficult step, revision.

I can certainly see the value in revising written works until the ideas of a paper are clearly presented in a concise and easy to read manner.  I know that many times I myself have struggled with this concept.  I’m sure some of my entries here on my blog have been a mish-mash of random thoughts and ramblings.  Of course, that’s more what this medium is really for, though I many times read later, what I have written, and end up making corrections.  For the next six weeks however, I will need to concentrate more on polishing my prose than just letting the words leak out of my head.

Our first paper is to be about ourself.  We are to write something autobiographical.  Being in my forties, I have a vast amount of experiences to draw upon, but we’re not supposed to write a book.  What I will have to do is narrow my focus into one area, about myself, that I think could provide a quick insight to who I am.  I’ve not considered it much as yet, but I’ll certainly have to start thinking hard about this over the weekend.  Only meeting once a week for class seems like a long time, but from my present perspective, it’s only about five more days away.  I have to get started.

What ever shall I write about, that tells people who I am?

Asa Jay