"In vacant or in pensive mood..." I am: Bekah; 24; Law Student / Favorite Things: Carbs (so there!), Johnny Damon, Smiling at babies, Grilled cheese, Comfortable silence / Favorite Supreme Court Justice: Brennan / Favorite Wilson: Owen by an inch / Today's Special: Song: Elliott Smith, "Bled White"; Quote: "You know, there's like a butt-load of gangs at this school. This one gang kept wanting me to join because I'm pretty good with a bowstaff." Please love me: mmbekah@yahoo.com


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The Aesthetic and Moral Virtues of New School Supplies: A Treatise

Countless volumes in this blog have been devoted to espousing the glories of new school supplies--their smell, their touch, their physical perfection. Yet none of my writing has truly encapsulated the essence of the Platonic goodness of a new notebook, or the childish innocence of a new pen. It is this goal that I will now attempt to achieve.

Imagine that you are a seasoned, somewhat jaded law student. (If you are anything like me, this will be a relatively simple exercise). You've reached the end of the year, and your notebooks are torn and tattered. Your pens are out of ink, chewed up, or lost altogether, floating in that mysterious chasm in the universe where all of the car keys and left socks go to relax on the beach and tell old war stories. You are bruised, battered, and fed up. You hate your life and what it has become. You want nothing to do with school ever again.

But then, a new semester begins, and suddenly something in your brain wipes the slate clean. Everything is new again. You've forgotten some of the pain of exams, and you've become intrigued by the prospect of one or two interesting classes or a new professor. You begin to organize your schedule and plan your semester. And then, the school supplies begin their siren song...

A new notebook represents all that is good and virtuous about the academic experience. There is so much potential stored up in those pages. So much promise in every line! Aristotle thought that everything has a potential that can and should be actualized. A new notebook is pure, tangible potential. So many ideas and and theories can fit between the covers, bringing the innocent and pure notebook to life! The empty pages scream, "Feed me, for I am hungry for knowledge! Sully my pristine pages with your furious scribbling so that I may actualize myself!" A new pen is virtuous as well, as it is the implement for actualizing the new notebook's limitless potential. It's like an Olympic athlete who is ready to win the gold, but has to finish the race to make that potential a reality. The new notebook sits at that precarious and dramatic position--it knows what it can do, but only has to do it! Fantastic!

I wasn't going to do this, but I've decided that it's only fair. Now, gentle reader, I am going to fill you in on my current school supply situation. Please, contain your excitement! I initially thought I should keep my methods top secret, lest someone steal my brilliant plans and piggyback their way to school supply perfection. But I've decided that something this wonderful should be shared with the world. So here it is. I have four classes, and I have decided to use two binders, one for my Tuesday/Thursday classes, and one for my Monday/Wednesday classes. Each binder contains two three-hole-punched legal pads. These legal pads, however, have a special feature: the margin line is farther to the right than usual. This way, I can take notes on the right side, and use the left side to make any changes or additions I might need later. I can remove the legal pads from the binder while I'm taking notes, and I can remove the pages from the legal pads to organize my notes sequentially with any class handouts.

I realize that if you are a law student or any kind of student you probably want to kill me right now. Or at least throw notebooks at my head. But I will not apologize for my feelings. School supplies are the only things that keep me going at this time of year, and my love for them will never die. If you truly embrace the new notebook, I am sure that you too will find meaning in your life. Just give in to it. It will heal your soul.


posted by Bekah at 9:49 AM :: |