I have begun a new quarter at Prince Institute - Rocky Mountains, online. I would be completely lying if I were to say I am excited to be, yet again, in the 160 speed class. There is a large part of me that wants to quit, begin self-study, and start working on what I need to on my own. However, an even larger part of me, which is ruled by my natural inclination to be an outstanding procrastinator, stays enrolled in the Institute.
I plainly lack the discipline to practice as much as I know I need to without some form of hard deadline looming over me each week. That deadline takes the form of a practice log that is due each Sunday night, by 11:59 p.m. MST. This log is then used to determine whether or not I qualify to have my speed tests count and, after all, I need those to count should I pass them within the current millennium. I'm only half-joking. I'm really close to passing the last two 160 tests I need, so close I can almost taste it... What does it taste like, you inquire? Well, stale, re-heated coffee, summer air that is filled with warmth and humidity, bits of white cat hair that have come floating upwards as my feline friend swipes against my legs and tripod, and a bit of dark chocolate for in between those takes where I have to drill like mad on words I should already have down. (Insert furious rant aimed at right ring finger for adding Ls into everything...)
Those are my evenings. My late, late evenings after my girls are tucked away in their little toddler beds. After I've perused the news and cleaned the kitchen, after a round of Duolingo or Angry Birds. It really should be my late evenings and early mornings with a bit of afternoon tucked in for good measure. However, it is not.
My husband, amazing and talented as he is, has just landed a great job that allows me more time to be at home. I am now given an abundance of extra time I never thought I had to dedicate completely to the pursuit of steno. With one caveat: two little girls. Yes. I have two little girls to take care of and they aren't the best at understanding that I need an hour to practice. So I am now given the task to become very creative in how I will handle adding more steno time into my day while keeping little mischief makers away from the walls with crayons.
I also have a huge, ever increasing, never ending list of things I need to change, modify, learn, re-learn, etc., about stenography. For example, as a result of a forum question, I now have to train myself to cap words with the cap next stroke instead of the cap previous stroke I've been using since embarking on this training. Not to mention having to increase my accuracy, which is quite honestly not anywhere near real time ready, work on problem words, theory review, finger spelling, briefs, phrases, solving problems like: why am I still writing improvement in 3 strokes? To anyone who is learning this skill or is working as a stenographer, this list is par for the course and just something you do to be a well-rounded writer. I sort of just included it so everyone else might understand that it can be overwhelming and maybe take a little pity on me when I'm a grouch because I just don't have enough time to get it all done!
Or kindly bring me coffee dressed in a top hat and tails... (Hint intended for husband)
So here I am in a new quarter, but the same old class, with a laundry list of to-dos if I ever hope to be half the stenographer that Stan Sakai, Jade King, Lisa Knight, Mirabai Knight-Lascoutx or the other numerous amazing stenographers I've had the opportunity to learn, even the smallest of tips from in my journey thus far. Add on to that a daughter who is 5 and whom I will be homeschooling this year, still a part-time job at the shop, and some editing work for Caption Colorado, and I've still got quite a plate full even with my husband's amazing new job.
You know what? I'm ready for it this time. I've got a ton to do, and a deadline of October to do it in. I work best with deadlines and under pressure. Hell, I turned out outstanding creative fashion articles for magazines the night before the deadline, scored As on any and all essays and reports I wrote the night before they were due, and wrote half a novel in two nights. I can get from 180 to 225 in 3.5 months, no problem.
And when I do...
I'm getting a huge f--ing tattoo! (In a place that is easily concealed for professional environments...) ;)
The Wave is calling me. Leave your notes, suggestions, and if you like, encouragement below. I'll probably need it when I'm feeling like kicking that machine out the window and watching a marathon of Black Books or Firefly...
-L.A.
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