Be like the rocky headland on which the waves constantly break. It stands firm and round it the seething waters are laid to rest. Do you say, "It is my bad luck that this has happened to me"? No, you should rather say, "It is my good luck that although this has happened to me, I can bear it without pain, neither crushed by the present nor fearful of the future." Because such a thing could have happened to any man, but no every man could have borne it without pain. So why see more misfortune in the event than good fortune in your ability to bear it? (Marcus Aurelius, 4.49)

A new semester brings a new set of trials for me. Fall was amazing and gave me the opportunity to work with some amazing software like Geomagic and Aurasma (AR). My first time working in Geomagic, I plugged in my headphones to my Daft Punk station on Pandora, and proceeded to lose 10 hours of my life. It was utterly fantastic. I just need to remember that my mouse does not owe me money. I do not need to strangle it. 

This semester, however, I am learning a whole new set of software programs: ArcGIS and a bunch of programs from Autodesk. While I do indeed recognize that GIS is a necessary skill to have for finding employment, I must confess it makes me feel... dim every minute of the day. I am positive that I am not the only individual out there who feels this way, but it gets horribly intimidating sitting in the office surrounded by mental giants of the computer world. They are wonderful people who are always willing to help me. There is that ever-nagging feeling of being that cute puppy at the ASPCA that is a little slow, but everyone likes it because it's so cute. (I read far too much Calvin & Hobbes and Far Side as a young child,  so I think in "Far Side" now) 

P.S. If anyone would like to donate $1500 so I can snag a pair of Google Glass so I can begin Exploring from the view point of a graduate student focusing on History and Visualization, that'd be great. Right now $1500 is almost four months of rent - and I just can't go back to living with my parents... yet.   

For Dad...

When thinking of heritage preservation and technology, my first reaction is archaeology and UNESCO sites. Tonight, however, my 71-year-old father is in Alabama for his annual reunion of Eastern Airlines workers. There are many people who remember Eastern Airlines, but frequently when asked people respond with puzzlement. So as I sat back and thought about all the old stories I over heard my parents talking about. It was years before they could talk about it in front of me. Even today, the anger surfaces as fresh as it was in '88 or '89. There are horrible stories of pain and suffering that will always stick in my mind, but the worst is the story of the lock down. My father was a work that day at Miami International Airport in the hangers for Easter Airlines when an announcement came over the PA system. It was a lock out. Employees had 15 minutes to retrieve their personal items and vacate the Eastern Airlines property or they would be arrested. Grown men from their 20s to their 60s were running to try and salvage at least a portion of their tools. The airline mechanics kept their tools mostly at work locked up - a moderate set costing several hundred dollars if not a couple thousand.

I try to put myself in my father's shoes and comprehend everything he must have been feeling: adrenaline, fear, and anger. Then once he was off property with what he was able to grab, the fear and shame that had to be brimming within him as he went home to tell his wife there was a lock down and the union was on strike.

So I asked him, while he is surrounded by friends and former co-workers, to see if they are willing to share their stories with me. I don't know what sort of response I will get, but my most secret desire is to record the oral histories of these men and their families from this time and create a database or archive.  I want there to be a record of the common man and how the collapse of an airline and failure of the union erased 42,000 jobs from the Miami market. I want there to be some level of recognition of the suffering and hardship these people, my father, experienced so there can be some level of healing before they are lost to us.

That is how I would utilize technology right now. This moment. Very simple, but very meaningful just the same.

Chaos

The first few weeks of my courses were filled with trepidation and self-doubt. As the weeks have flown by I find myself no longer concerned for myself and my abilities. What I am most concerned about is my in ability to absorb this information at a faster rate. Learning the new technologies accessible out there (Aurasma, Maya, Catch, The Traveler, etc.) necessitates being plugged in all the time and an enormous amount of energy. I look to the people who are mentoring me, their colleagues, and activists within the profession like Nina Simon of the Santa Cruz Museum and doubt not my abilities to learn. I find myself doubting if I have the energy and passion I see each person emulate. 

i need to understand the terms maya training is using. i need to figure out real questions to ask so my professors don't think i'm coasting. i need to sleep more. i need to sleep less. i need more time. i need more energy. don't forget to eat. don't eat too much. drink more water the brain needs moisture. take vitamins the brain needs them. eat salmon the brain needs those omega 3 fatties to work better. remember to breathe. don't freak out you'll get a migraine and loose time. remember to talk to professor about internship. can i help in mexico? will the local view me as a rich, white imperialist? I am a rich, white imperialist...how do i make sure to work for the local people and the honor of mexico and not let pride/american ideals encroach? how do i take what i'm learning and apply it to the ancient mediterranean? how do I connect with people in greece? do they have the money for this? how do I get money from the people who have it? i need to make sure i'm not getting ahead of myself. don't step on toes. don't say something stupid. led the professors lead you. don't let them stifle. don't stay in the antiquated. move quickly, move beyond. remember to eat. remember to sleep. make more money. get a tablet. have to save money to pay rent and feed dog. connect to people. don't withdrawal. make connections. talk to people. reach out. learn. learn. learn. inspire. inspire. inspire. pass it on to those around you. awareness. learn French. stay competitive. how can you change your field? will it get you a job. christ i have a lot of loans. make sure you find a job. find a husband. have a baby. why don't men have to worry about this. damned uterus. learn. focus. no babies right now. learn. change. develop. sleep. eat. coffee. water. learn. learn. learn...

Day 1.79

My name is Christina. I am a 32-year-old graduate student. I am a 32-year-old graduate student studying ancient history. I am a 32-year old graduate student studying the history of Ancient Greece from 3000 BCE. If you are anything like my parents, you are asking yourself "What the hell are you going to do with that?" and until about ten days ago I would have snarkily quipped back, "A bad-ass barista." Life, however, has a unique way of throwing a wrench in even the most grandiose plans of becoming a snotty coffee diva. 

Now before I get too involved discussing my new focus, I should really tell everyone a little bit about myself. I know next to nothing about technology. Granted, I'm not using a typewriter to write my papers (although I do own one), but up until nine days ago I was a complete technology neophyte. I have a smartphone and I spend a unhealthy amount of time on social media just like everyone else. They're not utilized for practical application (snort). Their used for mocking my friends and watching videos of kittens -- just like everyone else. 

That is all about to change.

The end of spring semester 2013, I expressed my interest in learning more about the technology side of archaeology. Over the summer the state university system experienced a financial crisis that had wide-sweeping ramifications and the majority of my intended courses were suddenly unavailable. They were unavailable two weeks prior to the beginning of my fall semester. Suddenly, I had to dive-in head first into the technology scene at a break-neck pace and leave behind the traditional "Classics" background (much to the relief of my Greek language professor). Needless to say the learning curve is pretty extreme. Am I worried? "Worried", "terrified", "filled with self doubt"... there are not enough words to cover the very genuine fear I have of failure. Am I smart enough? Am I too old to learn all of this? The other students are young. They learn so much faster. I am going to fail. I will never find a job. I will be living in a van down by the river. *Take deep breath*

Then I shake myself and take a step back to better evaluate the situation unencumbered by my neuroses. I am surrounded by truly brilliant and talented individuals who want me to succeed. This can only deepen my conceptualization of the Ancient Greek world, archaeology, and heritage preservation. Instead of focusing on where my weaknesses lie, I need to focus on the possibilities. How can this technology change my career? How can this technology change how I interact with people around me? How can this impact my interactions with people across the globe? How can the technologies I am about to learn help me preserve and educate others about Ancient Greece and all her facets? How can Ancient Greece be more than Gerard Butler chirruping about "we are Sparta"?  

The possibilities are endless, but I am starting slow. Five days ago I learned what RAM really was. Three days ago I learned how to build my own computer. Today I started learning about building a web page. This week has been great and I feel utterly empowered to change the way Ancient History, Classical Archaeology, and Classics are approached. I will change the study of Ancient Greece beyond that of a lecture. I am going to get people excited about learning.  

But for right now, I am just going to learn. There will be rants and rages. There will be victories. There will be shenanigans. So be patient with me for I will have none for myself and let's see where this goes.