Exams

I've developed a taste for writing exams. It is a cathartic release of everything I've learned and accumulated over the past four or eight months and allows me to leave feeling a sense of accomplishment. (Don't ask about the grades. Numbers don't matter).

Truly, the value of some things are appreciated only when they've been taken away. Last December, I only had one sit-down exam, which was so short I spent a total of an hour and a half in the exam room during the entire exam season. I felt cheated.

I just finished writing the last English exam I'll ever write on this side of the desk, and I think I'll miss it. When else will I get to read stories and be tested on how much I remember? Stories stick. It's easy to remember stories because they leave an emotional thumbprint on your mind. I'm really glad to have selected Canadian Short Stories as my final English course because I've developed such a deep admiration for our Canadian writers. There's something I connect to--perhaps it's the immigrant narrative, the sense of place or lack thereof; the recognition of landscape, and camping, and other Canadian-esque things.

I'm just happy to know there's something in Canada to be proud of: We produce good short stories.