English Major

A few nights ago I dreamed that I was taking a college English Literature class. It was meeting so frequently that on the first week of classes, I had been to it three times before attending any of my other classes. I remember there was a woman in the class whom I liked, but I don't remember much about her now, only that she seemed to not be anyone I actually knew in college or have known at all. It seemed to be in a room in Champlain Valley Hall at Plattsburgh State, which is where I actually took many English Literature classes and did like one of my female classmates.

When I awoke, it occurred to me that majoring in English, as I did for most of my time in college, did leave me with an important life skill. The main homework in English Literature classes was to analyze the meaning behind novels, stories, plays, or poems. Applying the skills this took to life, I am able to examine events in my life for meaning, and I can view my life in terms of meaningful themes, plotlines, and story arcs. It can be easier to find meaning in literature, because literature normally sets out the relevant incidents or details without all the insignificant details that don't contribute to the meaning. But it is still possible to view life in the same meaningful way that literature can be viewed, and this is an important life skill to have, because people are happier and live longer when they feel their lives have meaning.