Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Mental Censorship

So I've got this paper that was due yesterday at 11. I've officially started it but I'm still 2 thousand words from completion, not to mention citing and editing. I've had another scholarly breakdown. I'd say mental breakdown, but I'm thinking logically. Works sucks. School frustrates me. My life would be better if I finish this paper. Furniture is comfy.
I went through this last year but a little earlier on in the year, about halfway through. So while this whole downer thing sucks its still an improvement. I'm trying to write a paper on postwar cinema but its just not happening. This is the fourth paper that has created 20 days of nonstop stress over writing. I cant really remember the last night that I sat at home and was not worried about something being due ASAP. The assignment isn't really bothering me, my head just hurts. The last paper I finished was a day late and only resembled the question through the use of the course title at the top. So I'm not really worried about not answering the question. I think I'm just succumbing to the pressure of wanting to do really well, once again. This year I'm not really experimenting anymore with school, I just need some fuckin sweet marks to get into my program. Then life will be good.
The thing that is driving me crazy is that I have had almost 50 hours of sitting at home, mostly alone, to write. And all I have to show for those hours is 350 words and a giant headache. It's the frustration of knowing that I'm contributing to the problem, and I can't seem to stop it.
Procrastination is one thing but this is starting to get ridiculous. I've even tried convincing myself to try and write 4 pages of garbage, but still that requires thinking and then it starts to hurt all over again. I've flashed through almost every depressive worry I can think of, and come out it remaining exactly where I was to begin with. I don't think this is a depression thing, I think I have just severely screwed my body up by not sleeping or eating and trying to burn the candle in all 3 places. (You can burn the candle in the middle while the ends melt away.) I'm just phasing myself out of this more and more, as my tolerance of school has dropped to zero. I'm done with this, I am so ready for the summer and working full time. I can't wait to be able to come home and not do anything....GUILT FREE!
This paper has two options right now, based on my previous track record. It will either A) take me a week to finish thereby ruining any chance of getting a grade over 50 (I'm losing a letter grade a day, + to even to - down to +.) , or it will take the scarier route that has been deemed Magic Realism. Last year, I became fed up with everything and refused to write a paper after a huge breakdown coupled with a caffeine overdose that just ruined everything. The fear set in after that and writing became torturous. Every paragraph was like a razor to the brain, and I had to sleep for almost a day to repair the damage. Now I'm just sleeping through the damage. I saw this coming for a few weeks as my apathy kept me from attending a few classes here and there.
I'm still focusing on the afterwards and not the journey there. Almost like my feelings while watching LOTR. I can see the end, and I wish it was here, but there's this painful torturous expedition that I have to sit through and watch unfold. My head hurts at the end, my ass is numb and my life is unaffected. I suppose I will reenter Room 101, for I must be at work in 90 minutes.

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