In terms of both academic studies and social skills, I learned (not in any particular order, as you can tell):
* That being yourself is important, as long as you do it with a certain amount of self-respect and as long as you value your self-image
* That there is somewhere for everyone
* That a healthy sex life is not an impossibility for an aspie
* That I Can act
* That I can write
*That I'm good at learning languages
* That if you ask a girl out politely and get rejected, so what, life goes on, and you should take it as a compliment if she rejects you politely.
* That a date is just a date, not a lifelong commitment
* That you shouldn't claim to do things you obviously can't
* That J.D. Salinger is one of the greatest writers ever
* That Shakespeare's works are fairly light reads. Or at least eaier to read than Jane Austen
* That not everything goes well, but if life sucks, then it's your duty to do everything in your power to make it better
* That Theodore Roosevelt was an immature religious bigot
* That Howard Taft was a loser
* That Upton Sinclair should have won governor of California and FDR was just as corrupt as any other president despite doing a lot to improve the country (and that he and Eleanor pulled a Bill Clinton on each other)
* That even if it gets annoying at times, volunteering to help your community is ultimately rewarding
* That someone you think you know can become a completely different person within the course of less than half a year
* That you should make good use of every opportunity you have in the life you've been given
* That mathematics class can never be taught well regardless of who's teaching it or what their presentation style is like
* Not to wear anything without first being aware whether it's a symbol of anything or what it's a symbol of
* That getting to know other people is worth it, even if you don't like them
* That you should never be disappointed with what you have: There is always someone who has less than what you have
* That in high school they make you read poorly written Oprah's book club stories about little girls with an IQ of 70 who are neglected by their fathers and beaten by their mothers.
* That all kinds of music are worth listening to, just to give you something to talk about with others
* That self-educating in any subject is very worth it
* The definition of the word protean
* What a Eudaemon and Cacodaemon are
* That holding your tongue when you are about to say something you know to be stupid or false (even for humorous effect) is worth it.
* That combing your hair properly and making the right facial expression for an ID picture (or any photo for that matter) is definitely worth it. It was only because I remembered how hideous I looked in my school ID photo that I realized I didn't want to have that same hideous contortion of muscles and hideously combed hair displayed on my State ID.
* That people you dislike (or who dislike you) lurk around every corner. The best you can do is be respectful and not give people cause to dislike you
* That I believe in a higher power. Not in the form of a single all powerful male God, just in a higher power that has multiple aspects, both male and female.
* That all wisdom is paradoxical
* That the Tao that can be named is not the eternal and unchanging Tao
What did YOU learn this school year?
23 May 2007, 2:25 pm
