I believe in balance. I believe in exploring my world. I believe I believe in helping others expand their worlds. So, today when I had the opportunity to introduce a Taiwanese friend to falafel sandwiches, I couldn't resist. Yes! Try something new! That is a pita. That is falafel! That is humus! You can get chicken on that sandwhich, too! Here, try this sauce! She wanted me to expand her world and I obliged. This particular student earned my respect from the beginning and has maintained it ever since. Gracious, joyous, wise and intelligent: she is a reminder to me to continually strive to be a better person. Today, I taught her the phrase "old soul," because that is what she is. She is also the one who helped me and guided me through comps. One thing neither of us expected post-comps was a slump we are both in. It resembles a case of senioritis, or something I felt as a teacher about one month before school was out for the summer. After learning the word "volition" in her ed psych class, my friend self diagnosed what we are both experiencing as a "volition problem." I suppose that is just as good of a description as any right now. All I know is that I sometimes find myself writing, I don't really care in the margins of my notes. Or unconsciously typing I'm very bored right now when I don't know what next to write in a paper. Another friend asked me yesterday what keeps me motivated. I'm not sure right now. I told her it was my own sense of dignity. Certainly, grad school can be very undignifying at times, so I suppose I was relieved to realize I still have some of it left, and it is worth working for. Dignity, and the faith that my world will expand again, soon. That is why I keep working.