Dear patient readers,
You may have noticed that my blog has been quieter than a library during a surprise inspection. This was not intentional. I did not abandon you. I simply made the classic mature student mistake of believing I could realistically manage my time.
I would like to take this moment to apologise for the unexpected blogging drought. I had every intention of posting regularly. Unfortunately, life, academia, and a deeply unreasonable number of glitter highlighters had other plans.
The Memoir Situation
Firstly, I have been writing my memoir. Yes, an actual memoir. Because apparently going back to university as a mature student wasn’t emotionally challenging enough on its own.
The memoir explores trauma, abuse, survival, and the long journey into advocacy. It is important work, meaningful work, and occasionally the literary equivalent of opening a drawer labelled “Things We Packed Away for Later and Definitely Should Have Left Shut Until After Coffee.”
Writing it involves a lot of reflection, some unexpected emotional ambushes, and a suspicious amount of tea. There have also been moments where I’ve written a paragraph, stared at it, and thought: Wow. That explains a lot.
Still, it matters. Stories matter. Advocacy matters. And if even one person reads it and thinks “oh, it wasn’t just me,” then it will have been worth every slightly terrifying sentence.
The Glitter Highlighter Crisis
While doing all this serious reflective writing, I have also been fighting a battle that nobody warned me about when I enrolled in higher education.
Stationery.
More specifically: glitter highlighters.
At some point I made the perfectly reasonable decision that ordinary highlighters were unacceptable. If I am going to highlight academic texts, those highlights should sparkle with purpose.
Unfortunately, glitter highlighters behave less like stationery and more like a rapidly expanding ecosystem. I started with three. I now appear to own approximately seventeen.
They are everywhere.
In pencil cases.
On my desk.
In bags I haven’t used since 2019.
I’m fairly certain they’re reproducing when the lights are off.
The Next Module: A Light Existential Crisis
Meanwhile, I am also attempting to choose my next module, which is a process best described as academic speed-dating with existential consequences.
Each module description follows the same emotional arc:
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Oh this looks fascinating.
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This could really deepen my understanding.
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Oh look, a reading list longer than my will to live.
As a mature student, you’d think wisdom and life experience would make these decisions easier.
Instead, it just means I overthink them with greater sophistication.
Where Have I Actually Been?
So in summary, my recent absence can be explained by the following completely reasonable schedule:
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Writing a memoir about trauma, abuse, survival, and advocacy
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Doing university work
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Accidentally building a glitter stationery empire
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Having mild academic identity crises while choosing modules
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Drinking tea like it’s a research method
The Plan Going Forward
The blog will return to regular programming shortly.
Assuming, of course, I can clear enough space on my desk between the glitter highlighters and the emotional processing.
Thank you for your patience while I was temporarily missing in academic action.
Normal levels of slightly chaotic mature-student commentary will resume soon.
Sparkles optional.
(They are not optional.)