Everywhere

Stepping out of my dorm room on the way to class, I passed a janitor cleaning in the hall. He looked at me with sad, searching eyes so I smiled.

"Have you seen God?" he asked.

"Yes, I have," I replied. "In fact, I can see Him right now."

The man's eyes, still tinged with loneliness, spelled confusion.

I explained: "He's you."

Enigmatic twinkle in my eyes, I threw him another smile and continued on my way so that he could ponder over what I said.

Walking down the stairs, I felt God squeeze my shoulder approvingly.

"Now," He said, "you are finally beginning to understand: I am everywhere."

Week at a Glance

so i've been meaning to do a post on my classes this semester and what i think of them but just haven't gotten around to it . . . until now.

spanish 1010

so after five years of french and a brief, one-semester fling with arabic, i finally decided to give spanish a try. so far, i think i like it. my professor is young and seems to actually know what he is talking about, while also making it interesting. the downside? i'm afraid that my romance languages are going to blend into "frespañol."

europe in the age of the baroque

this course is every bit as presumptuous as it sounds . . . but i think i will really enjoy it. it's taught by an older, balding southern gentleman who says "ah" instead of "r." however, while the topic is interesting, he can be a bit boring and pronounces all the french words incorrectly. o_O

literary heritage

despite an inherent potential to be incredibly boring, the professor will--i think--actually make this course interesting enough to attend. i have to contract it for honors credit, though, which means an extra 10-15 page paper. we'll see how that goes.

theories of international relations

this class makes me question why i chose the major i did. the professor seems interesting, though, and i think i will actually learn a lot . . . but, for one of the first times in school thus far i will actually have to work at it. lots of papers. lots of notes. boo.

human rights and social movement

this is actually an anthropology course and i think it will be one of my two favorites (along with the below) this semester. it's basically a big discussion of human rights and how they can be determined and applied, especially in light of cultural relativism. i'm sure it sounds boring to you, but i'm psyched.

italian cinema since 1945

you only wish you could take this class (and have it count for your major). we meet for class once a week on thursdays to watch italian films and discuss them. oh. yes. i have to write several papers over the semester, but it will be well worth it. this class also rocks because it is taught by a sweet italian lady who is totally awesome.

anyway, that's just a little overview of the 18 hours i'll be taking over the next few months.

i'm pretty excited . . . just about the first time in my life i have been able to say that about school.

Love Songs

I look at God and He smiles,

I smile and He giggles,

I giggle and He laughs,

I laugh and He guffaws,

and We both wipe tears of joy from Our eyes

as We sing love songs to each other

deep into the night.

Dancing

On a walk across crowded campus, I paused to sit on a bench by the fountain.

To my right sat the Teacher, legs crossed, watching the thousands rush past on their errands.

I smiled and He returned the favor.

"Isn't it a shame," He said after a moment, "that everyone thinks they are in such a hurry? They have no time to dance!"

Seeing my confusion, He leaned in conspiratorially.

"If you let your heart dance through each moment," He whispered, "you will never know sadness or pain."

He looked into my eyes for a moment and then leaned back, lesson imparted.

My mouth laughed.

My soul flew.

We danced.

Icharus

Entranced,

insects fly

towards Light,

no matter the cost.


Why are men

not so bold?


At least

Icharus flew.

OCD to the EXTREME

so i read these things on anna and powers' sites a while back, but i'm only just now getting around to doing it myself.

now you will know how truly insane i really am.

*ahem*

the rules:

1. mention the person who tagged you.
2. list the rules on your blog.
3. tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.

here goes . . .

1. when eating m&ms, i first divide them into piles based on color (reds together, yellows, etc.). then, systematically, i eat one of each color until there are an equal number of each. once there are equal numbers of each color of m&m, i collect one from each color pile and eat them all at the same time, until i am out of m&ms. ALWAYS.

2. some people may know this, but i am extremely ocd about making my bed. this probably stems from my mother's ocd bed-making which is a direct result of her father being in the army and being obsessed with a well-made bed himself. a three generation habit . . . beat that. a bed should be made, and it should always be made well. no exceptions.

3. when getting out of the shower, i count down from 10 to 1 before turning off the water. i only do this at "home" showers, however: in murfreesboro or at the dorm, for example. never if i'm over at someone else's place. when i do this without realizing it is when i know i'm at home someplace.

4. i despise odd numbers. whether selecting the volume on the tv or in the car, i will not stand for anything but even digits. i'll even wait around when setting a clock for the next even minute. the only exception is when setting the microwave, in which case i NEVER use an even number, or even a predictable odd number (2:25, 1:50, etc.). in this case, i only use the most random numbers i can come up with; 2:47 or 1:53, for example. don't ask me why . . . i don't know.

5. when going down stairs, i never step on the bottom step. i believe this originates with cameron and me in middle school or so. you never want to hit the bottom in life, do you? then don't step on the bottom step.

6. and, last but not least, i cannot STAND creases in paperback book bindings. i will read a book at the most awkward, almost closed, angle--barely able to read the words towards the inside of the page--rather than risk a crease. if i spend too long on a certain part of a book, i begin to panic, worrying that i'll make a crease and try to read faster. i just realized this fear may be part of the reason i don't like to read books more than once.

anyway, there you have it . . . a few of my (many) quirks laid out for you to see.

please don't judge.

if you happen to do any of the same things, let me know.

and if you are reading this and haven't already done it, consider yourself tagged.

Well?

God will often

stick His foot out

to trip you,


then bring a hand

to His mouth

to suppress a chuckle


while He watches you pout.



Eventually,

He grows tired of

His little game,


furrows His brow,

crosses His arms,

and just waits for you to


stop being so serious.




Well?