Learning Journal 14

In class this week we were split up into our sections. The reading that we were supposed to have completed by class was entitled Diagnosing And Treating The Ophelia Syndrome by Thomas G. Plummer. After reading the article I didn't want to do this learning journal on my blog because the paper taught me to "think on my own". Right now I am being told what to read and how to write on my blog and that I need to find sources online, and all sorts of other things are required of me. In fact, I am so busy with this class that it is hard for me to find time to think. What do I need to think about? Well, it's the reason why I am in the class, preparing for my field study in India. When I say preparing, I mean deciding on my research question and how i will go about gathering what I need. What else could be more important than what I will be doing over there for three months? If I do not have a solid question and a designated way of going about and gathering that data, months could be wasted in India. Sadly, deciding on a research question is not an easy task. I know that some assignments are provided to help me out, but shouldn't they be optional? Shouldn't I be able to decide what will help me out? My question will be completely different than anyone else's project, so why should I be expected to do something that I don't think will be beneficial to my project? In fact, my mind is being pulled in so many directions that it can't even take time to rest and let new ideas roll through.
The best part of it all is that I am in charge of my project. When I get to India it will be completely up to me to decide when to talk to people, what information to gather, and what questions to ask. Until that point, I will be appealing to teachers and approval committees and submitting papers and thoughts to instructors. I will be in their control. As a matter of fact, that control continue when I go to India. I will be required to perform course requirements in India that may or may not be associated with what I will be studying. I will be required to report on how I completed them and the time I took to perform them. So, as a matter of fact, I will still be on a leash. My actions will still be limited, my freedom will be to the end of the rope. In the end I sure hope that none of this hinders my thinking. If it does, it will ultimately restrict me from having the best research project I can have. I look forward to sitting in a hot tub and letting my thoughts wander, as true inspiration guides me to the most profound thinking.