First Post of Blaugust
Hello! I'm Sly.
I work in math education, and I'm super new to blogging. I've been a consumer/lurker of blogs for a while and for whatever reason just haven't engaged or participated regularly, so I'm excited for this incentive to just jump in and try it out. My current homepage (probably will be changed or updated) lists the general things I am interested in but definitely doesn't capture it all.
I'd say I am hooked on the idea of optimizing how we learn, and being infinitely curious about math and it's applications. Hiking, camping, and backpacking are always fulfilling for me. I've loved grappling related sports such as wrestling and jiu jitsu since my first memories of pestering my cousins to wrestle with me before I eventually joined a team. There's also a flavoring of "spirituality" through reading about and exploring ideas within religion and philosophy at an amateur level.
I guess one intention of this blog or blogging and posting online is to partly share a lot of resources or notes I've compiled in the background for years but haven't created a situation where I express it online to get that feedback I need. Improving my writing ability is another intention. I'm also excited to participate in community of other bloggers. For reference, I first stumbled on Blaugust 2024 from this bearblog post, so thank you Martin for posting that!
A random quote: “It’s dark because you’re trying too hard,” said Susila. “Dark because you want it to be light. Remember what you used to tell me when I was a little girl. ‘Lightly, child, lightly. You’ve got to learn to do everything lightly. Think lightly, act lightly, feel lightly. Yes, feel lightly, even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them.’ I was so preposterously serious in those days, such a humorless little prig. Lightly, lightly—it was the best advice ever given me. Well, now I’m going to say the same thing to you, Lakshmi . . . Lightly, my darling, lightly. Even when it comes to dying. Nothing ponderous, or portentous, or emphatic. No rhetoric, no tremolos, no self-conscious persona putting on its celebrated imitation of Christ or Goethe or Little Nell. And, of course, no theology, no metaphysics. Just the fact of dying and the fact of the Clear Light. So throw away all your baggage and go forward. There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet, trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair. That’s why you must walk so lightly. Lightly, my darling. On tiptoes; and no luggage, not even a sponge bag. Completely unencumbered.” ― Aldous Huxley, Island
Here's to a first attempt at blogging!