Let's make it brief.

So, aside from my overall excitement to be done with graduate school in general—and boy, am I excited—there's also this feeling of effusive joy that's lurking, literally, right below the surface. It's a constant feeling, and because it's so enticing and so, so raw, it basically keeps me from doing anything productive. [Case in point, I just spent at least 45 minutes reformatting this blog.]

Yet, I'm remaining calm. Yes, I have a research paper to write that I haven't even begun [which almost isn't even an issue, because it's an ubiquitous occurrence]. Yes, I now have to commute to Chicago twice a week to take another class in addition to the two I already have. Yes, I am graduating in sixteen days [16 DAYS!!! 16 DAYS!!! @$#%]. But knowing that I'm going to be seriously, irrefutably done with college has put me in almost a zen state. Well, I won't be completely done, as I have three more weekend classes as part of my Chicago program, but I'm learning skills that I have always longed to have, so it's cathartic and enjoyable and a cache of positive feelings that I won't go into details about.

So, the point of this blog. Yes, as the title of this posts indicates, I need to be brief [I do have Latin to do, after all]. I have decided to give this blog A Purpose once I graduate. This Purpose will, however, be multifaceted:

• Don't worry, there will be many more atheist posts to come. However, I'm going to be rather specific and detailed regarding what I hope to accomplish with said posts. I am in the process of defining what atheism means to me, and this will be part and parcel of what I will be discussing.
• I want to become a better person. I want to be less negative and more positive, less critical and more accepting, more focused and less sporadic, and—finally—I am going to learn to love myself, and learn to be less afraid. More info to come.
• I'm also going to review/analyze books I read! Books I've been wanting to read! For example: Body Thoughts, by Andrew Strathern; Matter and Consciousness, by Paul M. Churchland; and, last but not least, I am going to finish reading Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex. [Doubtless, I will probably be reading other, less intellectually exhausting books {such as this, and perhaps rereading this}. However, I will definitely not be reading this.]
• Finally, I will be blogging about moving to Milwaukee [or Madison]! I can't wait to experience a state other than Michigan. [Note: I love my state with all my heart, but it's time for new experiences.]

With these ideas boiling in my brain, I'm really looking forward to generally becoming a creative person again.

How many days did I say again? 16?

So much for being brief...