I knew I would learn a lot when I came to BYU--that was the point. But the knowledge has come in very unexpected categories, and that is the subject of today. I learned a few things today that had very little to do with Book of Mormon, Honors Writing, or Mass Communications and Society.

(1) I learned a little of what it is like to only have one eye, if not what it is like to be entirely blind.

(2) I learned that, if you want to take a nap on the grass once your homework is done and you have several hours before your next class, you should do it.

(3) Eating regularly is good for you, but not for the reason I thought.

(4) If you give a student food, chances are they'll eat it--especially if they're tired

As I entered the Wilk on my way to the cougareat grab-n-go, I noticed tables where you could sign up for things. My eye was drawn, eventually to the disability awareness week table. I learned that if you participated in an activity that simulated what it was like to have a particular disability for two hours and then watched a short video, you would get a free t-shirt. I looked at the disabilities, and eventually came to one for a vision impairment--wear an eye patch over your eye for two hours and go bout your business. This appealed to me because (A) I have always wanted a pirate eye-patch, and (B) my friend Kirt is completely blind, so I could sympathize with this. I quickly realized that they were giving me a medical eye-patch--like the kind to contain pink-eye. Oh boy. Well, completely for Kirt then.
You notice a lot when you wear an eye patch. The first thing you notice right away are the stares, I guess blind people get them too, or people with one eye. Or girls who want free t-shirts and are crazy enough to wear an eye patch in order to get it. But I could see them--I could imagine what they must think.
"Why is that chick wearing an eye patch?"
"Ew...gross...pink eye!"
"Maybe she has some weird disease?"
"Wow...did she have an accident?"
"I wonder why she needed surgery"
"Wow...it's too bad that girl only has one eye...she's beautiful."
Actually, that last one was what I secretly hoped one cute guy who kept staring at me was thinking. Nameless blond, you could have talked to a poor blind girl today!!
It got so bad, I actually bursted out to a group of girls in line "I swear I don't need this! I'm doing it for disability awareness week! I don't have pink eye!!"
My friend Courtney obviously noticed the change, so I told her what was happening.
"Oh, good ! I was gonna say, what kind of Birthday weekend did you have, girl?"
Well, you see Courtney, I was attacked by the Russian Mafiya, but since I've been inducted into the Charlie's Angels, I escaped with just a black eye that I didn't want to display proudly.
Another thing I noticed is how much I use my peripherals. I almost ran into several people departing from tables or garbage cans. I was so glad when it was over. I saw my mascara on the cottony pad of the patch and asked the girl at the table "Do I have Raccoon eyes?"
I was so tired after getting up at 7 for my Book of Mormon class that I really wanted to take a nap on the grass out in the hot sun but I was afraid of sunburn and being late for class. I really should have done it--I was too tired to cook myself dinner once I got home. I could have gone to sleep, and Bri would have texted me soon before class started about the charity for abuse victims we plan to start once we make it big. I would have awakened to a shout of "Silence--I KEEL you!!" and been on time to class. And honestly, with my record this summer, what is one more sunburn?

Halfway through the evening session of Mass Comms and Society, Sister Swenson gives us a break to get water or snacks and go to the bathroom. Every day I say that I will either bring my own munchies or not get hungry, and every day I trudge to the vending machines. One guy heard me say "Why am I always hungry?" And he and I began talking. I learned from him that eating regularly makes you become hungrier. I had always thought that it made you eat less, but, according to him ("I'm beautiful, incredible; he can't get me out of his head" not really but that would be nice) eating regularly makes your body burn calories faster and work more efficiently. Turns out a healthy appetite is a good thing! :)

Well, as I mentioned earlier, I got home with no energy to cook. So, deciding that today was not, after all, the day that I would eat a mostly all-natural diet, I popped in a frozen dinner. It wasn't even that good--I ate the whole thing. College students, I have noticed, don't care as much about what we eat as we should. But, I learned that the occasional easy night is ok, especially for a college student. Even Julie Powell once said "Yogurt for Dinner" during her attempt to cook French Food the way Julia Child taught America to do.

So, that's what I learned today. I'm excited to see what tomorrow brings.

"After all, tomorrow is another day."