Species Being

Post, Part 1: This gif of a dog getting a crazy birthday surprise! Had to share that today.

Post, Part 2: Some philosophy

I have a sore throat today, so I'm ending my day with my home-remedy for sore throats: Whiskey tea. The recipe is easy- put Jack Daniels in your lemon tea. Boom. As I sit and sip my tea, I'm reflecting on my day. Today made me remember some readings I did in college. I was a Sociology major and obviously we read a lot of Marx, Weber, etc. I remember, while reading a series of selections written by Karl Marx, that there was one philosophy of his that really resonated with me: the idea of "species being" or, what it really means to be a human. I think that reading was paired with several readings about labor and social classes, etc., but what I really took away from that particular set of readings is that being human is really about what you DO with your human-ness.

Before I get too crazy over here, I'll just paraphrase: I interpreted the readings to mean that we feel human when we do things that make us feel human. To each their own, here, because some people feel the need to create; others feel a need to serve, some to think and expand their thinking, some to love and be engrossed in social activity, and still others feel myriad other needs in order to feel human. I am a "create" person- I really like producing things which make me feel my time was well spent. I specifically enjoy producing things that give off positive aesthetic vibes, such as baked goods and useful crafts (hence the darn quilt I've been trying to finish forever...). I feel VALUE in the time spent on those activities, and the finished products give me something to feel positive about. I also feel human in service, which is why I teach, but that's for another day.

The point of this post is really that I am VERY much enjoying my summer schedule, where I can impact a child's education...for a half day, and then go home and craft. Or nap. Or blog. Or whatever I put on my to-do list in the morning. It's been a rather immensely relaxing 2 weeks off school so far, and I'm making the most of it!

Here's to being human! *clinks whiskey tea cup with empty water glass nearby*