Disconnecting from the real world…
• Posted by Mana on November 17th, 2007
In some ways I think university life has become some sort of utopia. Essentially its own little world where nothing outside of you and your circle of friends exists; that is, until you and your circle of friends go and do something, and then that’s still your circle of friends. I realised how much university life has become quite the substitute for real life; in the same way that school changes your life - except that school is where you go off and learn stuff you’re never going to use in real life anyway.
I realised how much this utopia of university has affected me this morning after a walk to the McDonalds a couple of suburbs away in the early morning with my dad and reading the newspaper. The Canberra Times, which I had not seen a copy of for almost a year, had on the front page a half-page article about some rape victim thanking police for their efforts following being robbed and raped while minding their house. Yep, you hear about that on the news every so often I guess. That is, if you watch the news. That is, if you have a TV. Which I don’t. Meaning, I don’t watch the news. QED?
Then I read the name and looked at the photo and realised it was my year 7/9 English teacher - the unmistakeable three/four earrings visible in the photo. Ah. Well. That changes things doesn’t it? I read the article and then once again. Her quotes to the press were definitely spoken in much the way I remember from English, which was to say, quite animated; even following such an event. I guess things like that change people. And then they don’t.
We walked back and I realised I need to get out more. Or stay in and watch TV more. Whichever.
hmm i have to say that i don’t watch the news either. that’s not becos of uni i’d say, because i haven’t watched the news for about the past 2 years and i’ve only been in uni for 1. for you perhaps it has been a case of too much else to do rather than sit down and watch the news on television… rather than it being something you really love doing, it’s something you do when you don’t have anything more interesting to do… would that be right?
this is an interesting point though… something like subscribing to the advertiser, listening to radio, regularly watching news on TV - are these things important, at all? Perhaps the odd news story might actually be important…
but i think mostly here in australia there really is nothing happening that would affect people’s lives that they need daily updates for… that is, unless people choose to read certain things for certain reasons, apart from just a lack of something ELSE to do - e.g. people who read the Financial Times… and other specialised stuff. Then there might be people who actually make a point of knowing what’s going on… ok now i’m talking in circles, better stop.
but anyway tony, was that quite a shock to see your teacher there? i would have thought it a great shock to me… at least she seems to still be whole…
too long; took ‘cid instead
bleargh said this on May 14th, 2008 at 3:58 pm