I switched my courses tonight for Brock. I decided to take Latin. I HAVE to learn it eventually for a masters in history or theology, so it was only a matter of time. Personally, I would’ve liked to put it off for a couple more years.
Languages are a funny thing for me, because I love them, I love the idea of speaking another language or reading it. But mostly Latin because it is the language of our history, the eternal langua Romani (Language of the Romans). I feel impowered when I know another language, I feel as if I could be a whole different person. For me, language is a many splendoured thing. But in honesty I suck at Latin. I tried alot, but never came up with enough effort to master the material. I hated the tenses and the necessity of precise endings, etc. I’m terrible at Latin, and so I’m conflicted, it’s as if this door is open in front of me, and everyone tells me (including myself) that if I just tried hard enough I could get through it. But at the same time I’m weighed down with sloth and grammatical ignorance and I can’t make it through.
There’s a girl I saw tonight, the chances of her reading this blog are minimal so I don’t mind posting it. Though it would be a typical chapter in my life if she saw it this one time. Anyway, this girl I saw tonight is a genius, and we have everything in common. I can’t think of a time when I’ve been more foolish than when I tried to ask her out. It might possibly be the dumbest I’ve ever been. It was generic, obvious, and awkward. I was heart-broken for a while…actually I don’t know if I have a heart, but I was very upset. In any case, she is not at all interested in me, but whenever I see her it’s like the open door. I have this beautiful image of how happy I could be if we were even just friends, but I can’t seem to make it. Again I’m weighed down and in my mind I keep telling myself (‘it’s your own fault’ just like Latin). It makes me hate myself as I look at my gross unshaven gay-tee, and my morbidly obese sized t-shirts. I want to speak Latin, I want people to like me, I want to run again, I want to be healthy and suave and fit.
Finally, I have a trip that got postponed again, it’s the 4th time now and I’m furious. I can’t ask my boss for the 4th time to reschedule me. I’m so angry at my parents. It’s totally out of my control, and it shows how little they respect me or my life. But obviously if I can’t do anything right, why would they?
It’s painfully clear to me what my Summum Bonum, my greatest good, is. To love myself enough to start running, to love my future enough to study Latin night and day and ace the class, and to then win the affections of the girl and live much more happily, for a little while at least.
God if you’re listening, please help me. But I’m never as certain about anything as I am that I will fail. I will drag myself through latin, possibly dropping it, failing, or barely passing. I will embarrass myself infront of the girl and focus her annoyances on me into dislike, and I will remain the same blob, sitting in bed, crying out to God, crying out on this blog, crying out to the no one who is listening. Such seems my life.
But maybe everything will change, maybe I will acheive my Summum Bonum, that I will feel Eudaimonea. That small pathetic hope lives on somewhere in the cynicism and pessimism of my soul, and that is why I will wake up tomorrow, and read a chapter of my latin book, and go to work, and try to eat healthy. In the hope that everything might change. Tolkien taught me hope, and I don’t know whether to blame or thank him for it.
Domine misere mei.
?? says
It took me the better part of 29 years of living to make any progress in the area of girls. Since you have the privilege of being in school, learn all you can; my laziness is coming back to haunt me.
Blessings to you.