Small Group Discussion Reflection

During this past week when preparing for the small group discussion, I did a few things I do not normally do.  I re-read the text, I took notes and I *gasp* wrote in my book. (I like to sell my books after I'm done with them but I don't think it will make that big of a difference, at least I hope not.)  Normally, I will just read the text once, often re-reading parts that don't make sense after a full nights sleep, and call it good. I have found that if something makes no sense whatsoever it is usually a lack of sleep issue.

Three things I learned from this exercise; I need to learn to plan for the worst case scenario, I need to be less more confident and I learned that all the stories you read can relate to each other in one way or another.

I found that as the time went on in class the questions which I had prepared well for kept being taken by other students, had I planned well, and prepared well for all the questions, this would not have been an issue. I am glad I answered the question I did, even though my thoughts were not as coherent as I would have liked them to be, because the questions after that one I had next to nothing on.  Had I been less mousy maybe I wouldn't have learned this lesson but, since I am who I am, I will never know.

I did find it interesting how the stories we've read so far all fit together into certain themes, rather through their dealings with death and life or even the symbolism of water. It makes the statement that all the types of stories which can be written are contained in "The Epic of Gilgamesh" much more believable.