April 11th part 1: the joy is back.

I’ve decided to split today’s post into 2 parts, otherwise it would be annoyingly long, even for longwinded me.

I remember a conversation I had with my Dad when I was maybe 12 years old I’d just discovered astronomy, and had found some basic books that were on my reading level. I was giving my Dad a run down on all my cool astronomy knowledge (this is was a super nova is, this is how you find the big and small dipper, etc). I told him that everytime I learned something new, I came up with a few more questions that led me to find the answers to those questions and thus learn more. He welcomed me to the world of knowledge, and said he was proud of me.

A simple, inconsequential conversation that I never forgot. But over the years, I did forget the joy of learning, the joy of discovering, the joy of finding the questions never end, and that finding the answers are just as satisfying as forming the questions.

I am thrilled to say that I have rediscovered that joy. Just not in the way I expected. About a year ago, I got interested in Law. If you’ve been following this blog, you know I found a few introduction books, some books that focuses on different cases, I just went nuts at the library as things looked interesting. The joy of learning was slowing returning.

“Marbury v Madison”. If you are a law student, you know what that is. If you are not a law student, suffice to say reading about that causes a supernova of learning joy to blossom within me. Now I was to learn everything I can about John Adams (who strikes me as an aristocratic prick) and Thomas Jefferson and what the framers really thought, everything I can about the continental congress, and which factions wanted what, and who had who in whose pockets. Because politics hasn’t changed a bit. I want to get the “Landmark Supreme Count Descisions” book from the library. I want to learn what all the latin words I don’t know means. I want to learn about history and philosophy of Law. I’ve never read To Kill a Mockingbird, and now I want to.

The joy is back. And it feels great.