Dec 17, 2018

How do you rest?

The last night’s rain unlocked a whole host of smells on campus. Fallen leaves brew slowly, giving off the fine drug my brain craves. Another autumn, even if took until mid-December. All the other autumns suddenly awake like ghosts. It is 14 Celsius; you heathens must convert. The light is low, cool, and bright, the shadows are sharp, the moss on the walls of Eureka hall is blissful.

One of the best part of the academia is its cyclicity. Just like farmers, we love seasons. The campus is bustling with people from August to December, and this week – it is suddenly quiet. Only the administrative types like me, with our silly defiant ties, and staff are left behind after the mini-rapture that is the winter break. The sudden noise and the sudden quiet are both exciting in their own way, no matter how much you knew.

Human minds need stimulation and rest is nothing but switching gears into doing something else. Gorillas like to watch birds, dogs like to chase squirrels, even though I have never seen a catch. It does not matter, it is entertainment. This week, I still need to read the RTP files, and follow up on a few lose ends. Next week, Svetlana and I will walk through the streets of San Francisco. We will let the dog lose on the beach. My brain will inevitably start churning some ideas for the next paper. I never learned to see writing as work; it is more of a hobby for me; perhaps just as useful.

How do you rest?

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