still some hours yet in the final day of 2008 for us here in california.
a gnarly amount of sinus/all around head pressure has kept me from doing too much (at least from doing too much with any enthusiasm or excitement). i did make it to the super market with jenny though, and then there was a quick trip to manhattan beach. it's been a while since i was there, so it was a nice visit. i'll be going back on saturday too.... because there is a USED GEAR SALE! exciting.
there's a little get together with some friends from high school tonight, so i'll head to that for a bit... but honestly, i'll be very surprised if i make it to midnight. i made it to japan's midnight... isn't that enough?
oy ve. so long til midnight.
i'll do the traditional new years/2008 in review tomorrow.
but til then, i hope you have had a most wonderful christmas and i hope your new years celebration is one of much joy.
quick note: i truly apologize for being a slacker this year and not producing my annual christmas movie. consequently, no xmas cards went out either. the holiday season kind of snuck up on me rather fast, so i didn't manage to pull anything together at the last second (something i am usually all to good at).
it's a been quite the year, 2008... and i hope it finishes out just peachy for y'all.
that's all from this year... tootles.
Wednesday, December 31
Wednesday, December 24
halfway around the world
14 hours ahead of the midwest and 17 hours ahead of the west coast... that's where i currently find myself. after a super long flight, i was welcomed to japan by being held back at customs. my passport doesn't show any evidence of me leaving japan on my last trip. why is that a major problem? i have no idea. but it was. nearly an hour of over-emphasised hand motions,
a few days have passed now... the wedding is done, we've ventured here and there, and i'm sure i've already violated multiple cultural customs. for instance: wearing "toilet slippers" to the lobby for breakfast. i was denied access to breakfast until i went up and put real shoes on.
my bad.
the wedding was a blast... i understood more than i ate, but nonetheless, it was a sweet thing to be able to be there for my brother's wedding... especially one as cultural and unique as this. there were three receptions, and for someone like me (very nap-dependent and very jet-lagged), that is a very tiring ordeal. i got to meet a lot of steven's co-workers and friends--most of whom just couldn't stop raving about how cool of a person steven is. and it was hilarious to see steven speaking so much japanese, cracking jokes left and right in japanese... very impressive.
no crazy adventures have gone down yet... mostly hanging around nagoya and making a trip to the local courthouse with steven and naomi for them to sign their marriage license. no matter the trip, though, picture opportunities galore... hence more than 200 pictures in less than two days. these pictures are available in my photo gallery under "japan trip 2008"... so just click on the left and it should take you there.
i find it fascinating that being in a foreign country has left me thinking more visually than orally... meaning, certian images catch my eye and come to mind more than certain thoughts are provoked and nourished. this leaves me with tons of pictures and few words. in a place where i can only comprehend things visually, i guess it makes sense. for one, i don't over hear conversations (at least over hear AND comprehend) that spark a line of thought... for another, it's the essence, the sights, of the culture that i experience. i would compare it to the difference between a novel and a picture book. the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" isn't a cliche for a reason... it gets used a ton... and it do so because it works. i'm just dieing to put a couple of those words down on paper... so hopefully i'll gather up a couple of words to share soon... but for now, enjoy the pictures.
one more thing... i love the fact that despite thousands of miles and multiple hours of time difference, communication is just as easy as it would be withing earshot of eachother. i've skyped and chatted on-line with friends back in the states. it still amazes me that i can have a face to face conversation on-line for free any time i want from any place that has internet access. impressive.
well, it is nap time for me. i don't know what time zone my body is stuck in...but it has left me perpetually exhausted.
more to come soon. i promise.
a few days have passed now... the wedding is done, we've ventured here and there, and i'm sure i've already violated multiple cultural customs. for instance: wearing "toilet slippers" to the lobby for breakfast. i was denied access to breakfast until i went up and put real shoes on.
my bad.
the wedding was a blast... i understood more than i ate, but nonetheless, it was a sweet thing to be able to be there for my brother's wedding... especially one as cultural and unique as this. there were three receptions, and for someone like me (very nap-dependent and very jet-lagged), that is a very tiring ordeal. i got to meet a lot of steven's co-workers and friends--most of whom just couldn't stop raving about how cool of a person steven is. and it was hilarious to see steven speaking so much japanese, cracking jokes left and right in japanese... very impressive.
no crazy adventures have gone down yet... mostly hanging around nagoya and making a trip to the local courthouse with steven and naomi for them to sign their marriage license. no matter the trip, though, picture opportunities galore... hence more than 200 pictures in less than two days. these pictures are available in my photo gallery under "japan trip 2008"... so just click on the left and it should take you there.
i find it fascinating that being in a foreign country has left me thinking more visually than orally... meaning, certian images catch my eye and come to mind more than certain thoughts are provoked and nourished. this leaves me with tons of pictures and few words. in a place where i can only comprehend things visually, i guess it makes sense. for one, i don't over hear conversations (at least over hear AND comprehend) that spark a line of thought... for another, it's the essence, the sights, of the culture that i experience. i would compare it to the difference between a novel and a picture book. the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" isn't a cliche for a reason... it gets used a ton... and it do so because it works. i'm just dieing to put a couple of those words down on paper... so hopefully i'll gather up a couple of words to share soon... but for now, enjoy the pictures.
one more thing... i love the fact that despite thousands of miles and multiple hours of time difference, communication is just as easy as it would be withing earshot of eachother. i've skyped and chatted on-line with friends back in the states. it still amazes me that i can have a face to face conversation on-line for free any time i want from any place that has internet access. impressive.
well, it is nap time for me. i don't know what time zone my body is stuck in...but it has left me perpetually exhausted.
more to come soon. i promise.
Wednesday, December 17
guest post
i've been busy with exams... studying at panera, iHop (which contrary to what the name suggests, isn't owned by Apple), my room, the basement, johnny's, and everywhere in between.
but because i've been so busy, i've gained my roommates permission to post something that she wrote. this is a paper she wrote for her history final and got to be a little creative with it. i must say, i am pretty proud of my roomie. quality entertainment. the "jolly music" is my favorite part.
enjoy.
As much as I wanted the classroom clock to be visible during class, when the day came, the change was absolutely unbearable. My peers and I could not peel our eyes off the simple machine that dictates our everyday lives. Words about the Protestant Reformation and the colonization of America seemed meaningless because I was focused on the here and now. The only thing that registered within my mind was the gradual clockwise movement of the minute hand—time seemed oddly slower than usual. When only ten minutes had passed in the last half an hour, I discredited the clock’s ability to tell time correctly and went back to scribbling down my notes.
To my surprise, my next glance at the clock proved to be the reality of every student’s nightmare—the clock was indeed moving backwards! It began by taking a few steps back; a minute here and there, but the hand soon gained speed and at a constant pace began to rewind time. The clock must have had a boost of adrenaline because the hand was moving backward so fast that I could not longer see the hand circling the blurry numbers that were the only evidence I still had that the circle attached to the cinder-block wall was indeed still a clock. Wow! I need to start getting more sleep. I must be hallucinating from sleep deprivation—why else would the classroom have begun to spin around my stationary chair?
Much like the spinning teacups in Disney World, I spun quite some time to jolly music that was supposed to take my mind off the current state of my stomach. Luckily, the spinning came to a gradual stop before my breakfast had covered my history notes spread across my desk. Once I regained my sense of balance, I assessed the damage. My history notes were everywhere—floating through the air, crumpled on the floor, sprawled across my lap. It was going to take such a long time to collect the pages and pages of notes I had taken during class, and putting them in order was going to be a difficult task.
When I noticed my surroundings, I realized my notes were the least of my problems. Time had literally reversed. In front of what should have been the projector screen was an elaborate pulpit and a table with several candles lit. The light in the room flickered as if the electricity connection was failing, but either the sconces were actual candles or designed to look exactly like them. By the burn on my finger, I came to the conclusion that they were indeed real candles. I took a candle off the wall to light the corridor I planned to venture into, and as the shadows danced across the cold marble walls, I followed the slight noises coming from the opposite side of what looked like an ancient castle.
A murmur of a whisper drew me into a large sitting room with the rows and rows of shelves filled with leather-bound books. My attempt to walk across the room was brought to an abrupt stop when a young lady quickly stood up from her seat facing the roaring fire. Not only did the mere presence of another individual frighten me, but I jumped even higher when I looked more closely at the girl—it was like looking into a crystal-clear mirror. The shock caused our eyes to expand to the same maximum diameter, and our mouths seemed to drop at the exact same time. How could we look so similar while she was clearly from a different time period than I?
From the terrified look I wore on my face, she could tell that I was not from a neighboring kingdom. I felt underdressed in my jeans and sweatshirt so I continued to try to reach the exit, but the girl called out and asked me to wait. I slowed my pace down and cautiously turned to her. The young lady introduced herself as Adalheidis Jetter.
The feeling of shock resurfaced as I realized there must be a reason that we look so similar—somehow we were related; having the same last name was not just a coincidence. After I regained my ability to speak, I introduced myself and asked where I was. I was in one of the many German states during the seventeenth century. My history class had transformed into actual history.
Trying to explain my life to Adalheidis proved to be almost impossible. I did not even know where to start, but I began with trying to describe the United States. Of course, she did not know that there was a new world yet to be discovered and colonized. I then thought we had found some common ground with the topic of education, but when Adalheidis expressed her interest in learning, it mostly consisted of traditional tasks an upper middle class female would learn in the 1600s. After she showed me her needlepoint and drawings, I told her about the equal opportunities that females now have in education. The idea of colleges and universities was foreign yet exciting, and she begged me to tell her more about my pursuit of higher education.
Adalheidis lit up as she drank in information about the future. I described my major, my friends and things we do for fun, and my family as she listened intently. The difference in time was especially apparent in her reaction when I mentioned what college I was attending. She immediately recognized the connection between Calvin College and the reformer, John Calvin. She herself had heard many of the reformed ideas that were reshaping the concept of religion and the church for the past century. As excited she was about the changes, she also feared that the Catholic Church would use their power to eliminate the Protestant ideas that were taking hold in many communities. We continued discussing the spread of the Protestant Reformation, and I assured her that many of her descendants will be following the same teachings hundreds of years later.
Out of habit, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket to check the time, which was irrelevant in my situation but led to a string of questions from Adalheidis. Amazed by the everyday modern conveniences, she wanted to know every detail about the so-called “technology.” I found myself unable to answer many of her questions because in today’s society, technology is taken for granted. I soon realized that I could not describe the Internet without explaining the computer, cell phones without clarifying the concept of a landline, lights without the explanation of electricity, and cars without the understanding of engines and gasoline.
Although our societies were completely different, Adalheidis was fascinated with technology, and she wished she could experience the society I was describing. I must have talked too highly of technology because Adalheidis was led to believe that all technological advancements had positive effects on society. I knew I could not mislead her, and I began to tell her of the unfortunate events that were results of technology. I explained to her that although technology has saved lives and made them quite easier, it has also caused terror and chaos within society. Wars are fought with machines that have been perfected to kill. Privacy is a rarity, and much of the uniqueness that was once present in every culture has been lost in the complex process of globalization.
Even though Adalheidis and I saw each other’s lives as living in completely different worlds, we bonded over the commonality found within the shared desire to improve our respective worlds. Adalheidis was already brainstorming ideas to make advancements that would eventually transform her society into my society. Right as she picked up my cell phone to examine it closer, the digital clock on the screen began blinking rapidly, and I knew that my time with Adalheidis was up.
but because i've been so busy, i've gained my roommates permission to post something that she wrote. this is a paper she wrote for her history final and got to be a little creative with it. i must say, i am pretty proud of my roomie. quality entertainment. the "jolly music" is my favorite part.
enjoy.
As much as I wanted the classroom clock to be visible during class, when the day came, the change was absolutely unbearable. My peers and I could not peel our eyes off the simple machine that dictates our everyday lives. Words about the Protestant Reformation and the colonization of America seemed meaningless because I was focused on the here and now. The only thing that registered within my mind was the gradual clockwise movement of the minute hand—time seemed oddly slower than usual. When only ten minutes had passed in the last half an hour, I discredited the clock’s ability to tell time correctly and went back to scribbling down my notes.
To my surprise, my next glance at the clock proved to be the reality of every student’s nightmare—the clock was indeed moving backwards! It began by taking a few steps back; a minute here and there, but the hand soon gained speed and at a constant pace began to rewind time. The clock must have had a boost of adrenaline because the hand was moving backward so fast that I could not longer see the hand circling the blurry numbers that were the only evidence I still had that the circle attached to the cinder-block wall was indeed still a clock. Wow! I need to start getting more sleep. I must be hallucinating from sleep deprivation—why else would the classroom have begun to spin around my stationary chair?
Much like the spinning teacups in Disney World, I spun quite some time to jolly music that was supposed to take my mind off the current state of my stomach. Luckily, the spinning came to a gradual stop before my breakfast had covered my history notes spread across my desk. Once I regained my sense of balance, I assessed the damage. My history notes were everywhere—floating through the air, crumpled on the floor, sprawled across my lap. It was going to take such a long time to collect the pages and pages of notes I had taken during class, and putting them in order was going to be a difficult task.
When I noticed my surroundings, I realized my notes were the least of my problems. Time had literally reversed. In front of what should have been the projector screen was an elaborate pulpit and a table with several candles lit. The light in the room flickered as if the electricity connection was failing, but either the sconces were actual candles or designed to look exactly like them. By the burn on my finger, I came to the conclusion that they were indeed real candles. I took a candle off the wall to light the corridor I planned to venture into, and as the shadows danced across the cold marble walls, I followed the slight noises coming from the opposite side of what looked like an ancient castle.
A murmur of a whisper drew me into a large sitting room with the rows and rows of shelves filled with leather-bound books. My attempt to walk across the room was brought to an abrupt stop when a young lady quickly stood up from her seat facing the roaring fire. Not only did the mere presence of another individual frighten me, but I jumped even higher when I looked more closely at the girl—it was like looking into a crystal-clear mirror. The shock caused our eyes to expand to the same maximum diameter, and our mouths seemed to drop at the exact same time. How could we look so similar while she was clearly from a different time period than I?
From the terrified look I wore on my face, she could tell that I was not from a neighboring kingdom. I felt underdressed in my jeans and sweatshirt so I continued to try to reach the exit, but the girl called out and asked me to wait. I slowed my pace down and cautiously turned to her. The young lady introduced herself as Adalheidis Jetter.
The feeling of shock resurfaced as I realized there must be a reason that we look so similar—somehow we were related; having the same last name was not just a coincidence. After I regained my ability to speak, I introduced myself and asked where I was. I was in one of the many German states during the seventeenth century. My history class had transformed into actual history.
Trying to explain my life to Adalheidis proved to be almost impossible. I did not even know where to start, but I began with trying to describe the United States. Of course, she did not know that there was a new world yet to be discovered and colonized. I then thought we had found some common ground with the topic of education, but when Adalheidis expressed her interest in learning, it mostly consisted of traditional tasks an upper middle class female would learn in the 1600s. After she showed me her needlepoint and drawings, I told her about the equal opportunities that females now have in education. The idea of colleges and universities was foreign yet exciting, and she begged me to tell her more about my pursuit of higher education.
Adalheidis lit up as she drank in information about the future. I described my major, my friends and things we do for fun, and my family as she listened intently. The difference in time was especially apparent in her reaction when I mentioned what college I was attending. She immediately recognized the connection between Calvin College and the reformer, John Calvin. She herself had heard many of the reformed ideas that were reshaping the concept of religion and the church for the past century. As excited she was about the changes, she also feared that the Catholic Church would use their power to eliminate the Protestant ideas that were taking hold in many communities. We continued discussing the spread of the Protestant Reformation, and I assured her that many of her descendants will be following the same teachings hundreds of years later.
Out of habit, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket to check the time, which was irrelevant in my situation but led to a string of questions from Adalheidis. Amazed by the everyday modern conveniences, she wanted to know every detail about the so-called “technology.” I found myself unable to answer many of her questions because in today’s society, technology is taken for granted. I soon realized that I could not describe the Internet without explaining the computer, cell phones without clarifying the concept of a landline, lights without the explanation of electricity, and cars without the understanding of engines and gasoline.
Although our societies were completely different, Adalheidis was fascinated with technology, and she wished she could experience the society I was describing. I must have talked too highly of technology because Adalheidis was led to believe that all technological advancements had positive effects on society. I knew I could not mislead her, and I began to tell her of the unfortunate events that were results of technology. I explained to her that although technology has saved lives and made them quite easier, it has also caused terror and chaos within society. Wars are fought with machines that have been perfected to kill. Privacy is a rarity, and much of the uniqueness that was once present in every culture has been lost in the complex process of globalization.
Even though Adalheidis and I saw each other’s lives as living in completely different worlds, we bonded over the commonality found within the shared desire to improve our respective worlds. Adalheidis was already brainstorming ideas to make advancements that would eventually transform her society into my society. Right as she picked up my cell phone to examine it closer, the digital clock on the screen began blinking rapidly, and I knew that my time with Adalheidis was up.
Saturday, December 13
exams and moon rings
it is easiest to win an argument at 2am.
for example:
it's 2 in the morning, and my roommate vocalizes her craving for a milk shake.
i say, alright, lets go to steak and shake and get one.
she points to her shorts, saying no because she is improperly dressed.
i tell her to just put pants on then.
she didn't need much more convincing.
at that, we were off and on our way to steak and shake... the 24-hour place to get your burger, fries, or milkshake. it is a wonderful place.
it also helped that exams started today... a milkshake at 2am is something you can't pass up when you know you've got an exam the next day.
something really cool. we were walking back from my car after steak and shake, and i looked up to see this wicked awesome perfectly circular ring around the moon, looking like this:
isn't that amazing? we couldn't stop looking at it... just walking in the icy snow with our heads tilted straight up at the brilliantly bright moon, completely amazing by this luminous ring around the moon. fascinating stuff.
the temperature has gone up a degree or two... making the precipitation that falls not fluffy flakes of snow but sharp shards of ice that bite into your face. it hurts.
well, i best be back to my studies... but be sure to check out the music i added to the player thing... ray lamontagne... awesome music... great kick-back and study music. highly highly highly recommend any of his albums!
have a good night.
for example:
it's 2 in the morning, and my roommate vocalizes her craving for a milk shake.
i say, alright, lets go to steak and shake and get one.
she points to her shorts, saying no because she is improperly dressed.
i tell her to just put pants on then.
she didn't need much more convincing.
at that, we were off and on our way to steak and shake... the 24-hour place to get your burger, fries, or milkshake. it is a wonderful place.
it also helped that exams started today... a milkshake at 2am is something you can't pass up when you know you've got an exam the next day.
something really cool. we were walking back from my car after steak and shake, and i looked up to see this wicked awesome perfectly circular ring around the moon, looking like this:
isn't that amazing? we couldn't stop looking at it... just walking in the icy snow with our heads tilted straight up at the brilliantly bright moon, completely amazing by this luminous ring around the moon. fascinating stuff.
the temperature has gone up a degree or two... making the precipitation that falls not fluffy flakes of snow but sharp shards of ice that bite into your face. it hurts.
well, i best be back to my studies... but be sure to check out the music i added to the player thing... ray lamontagne... awesome music... great kick-back and study music. highly highly highly recommend any of his albums!
have a good night.
Tuesday, December 9
just keep swimming
Sorry about that. Exams are coming up, and life has been downright busy.
The snow keeps piling up and the temperature keeps going down.
Classes are ending, exams are beginning.
I cannot believe that this first semester is practically done. Crazy!
With the end of the semester comes Christmas break… which means I am headed back to japan in less than two weeks to see my brother get married.
It’s a long flight… I know. So if you have any movie recommendations or book recommendations for the flight, PLEASE… do tell. Otherwise, I am just bringing a couple of seasons of shows with me… and am going to watch all of them. I feel like this trip will be a lot different than my first trip out there. Yes, my brother getting married will be quite the difference from last time, but I feel like I’ll be looking through a different set of lenses than when I did my sophomore year of high school.
I hope that the break brings some relaxation… it’s going to be go-go-go in Japan… it’s just the culture out there (and, in my opinion, in most places in this country). Then after a few days back in the states upon our return from Japan, I am off to my Interim trip. The trip includes 5 days of climbing in Joshua Tree National Park, 10 days doing a Wilderness First Responder curse in Flagstaff, then 6 days backpacking in the Grand Canyon. This is an outdoor educator interim trip through Calvin… so instead of being in Michigan for the month of January, I will be climbing and hiking around the deserts of the country.
After that, it is back to Calvin and the start of second semester… which holds spring break! And hopefully this year we’ll be in California for spring break. Since when do I get excited about going to California? Since I get to bring my friends with me and show them my home. Keep your fingers crossed for good airfares.
Speaking of cheap airfares…
There was a roundtrip flight from Detroit to LAX for $18. Yes, eighteen. Unfortunately the fare was only good through January… but $18??? I just don’t get it… that’s insanity.
Boy. I am tired.
I saw this quote on someone’s site. I liked it… a good reminder to keep going through life with a raised chin and hoping heart.
Someday everything will all make perfect sense. so for now laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.
The snow keeps piling up and the temperature keeps going down.
Classes are ending, exams are beginning.
I cannot believe that this first semester is practically done. Crazy!
With the end of the semester comes Christmas break… which means I am headed back to japan in less than two weeks to see my brother get married.
It’s a long flight… I know. So if you have any movie recommendations or book recommendations for the flight, PLEASE… do tell. Otherwise, I am just bringing a couple of seasons of shows with me… and am going to watch all of them. I feel like this trip will be a lot different than my first trip out there. Yes, my brother getting married will be quite the difference from last time, but I feel like I’ll be looking through a different set of lenses than when I did my sophomore year of high school.
I hope that the break brings some relaxation… it’s going to be go-go-go in Japan… it’s just the culture out there (and, in my opinion, in most places in this country). Then after a few days back in the states upon our return from Japan, I am off to my Interim trip. The trip includes 5 days of climbing in Joshua Tree National Park, 10 days doing a Wilderness First Responder curse in Flagstaff, then 6 days backpacking in the Grand Canyon. This is an outdoor educator interim trip through Calvin… so instead of being in Michigan for the month of January, I will be climbing and hiking around the deserts of the country.
After that, it is back to Calvin and the start of second semester… which holds spring break! And hopefully this year we’ll be in California for spring break. Since when do I get excited about going to California? Since I get to bring my friends with me and show them my home. Keep your fingers crossed for good airfares.
Speaking of cheap airfares…
There was a roundtrip flight from Detroit to LAX for $18. Yes, eighteen. Unfortunately the fare was only good through January… but $18??? I just don’t get it… that’s insanity.
Boy. I am tired.
I saw this quote on someone’s site. I liked it… a good reminder to keep going through life with a raised chin and hoping heart.
Someday everything will all make perfect sense. so for now laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.
Wednesday, December 3
rock and ice
snow snow snow... here are some pics of the campus covered in snow. my favorite is the headless snow man. then the last two pics are pictures of our new climbing wall!!!!!! the rec staff got to go inside the fieldhouse (which isn't open yet... still a lot of construction to go yet) and learn how to set routes. it is awesome!!! 40 feet high and enough room to set 16 ropes. that's massive. more on that to come.
Monday, December 1
fall on me
i woke up to a bright white morning... a thick layer of snow was sticking to nearly everything (or not sticking in the case of the clumps of snow that grew too heavy for its resting place on high tree branches, falling on unsuspecting pedestrians below--an occurrence i have experienced 4 times in the last 24 hours.
the snow on the ground is just as big a threat as the snow in the trees.
my first class of the day got canceled... always a bonus, especially on mondays. on the way to my second (and last) class of the day, i was admiring the enormous amounts of fresh snow when i heard the scuffling of panicking feet struggling to find some traction on the icy ground. that's when i felt a hand grab my hood and yank down out of the desperate need for stabilization. luckily, i was fairly balanced and didn't go down with this individual that was a complete stranger to me.
you know the song "lean on me?" great song... i love it.
but looking at the song for a loose metaphor to describe a true and strong friendship--i think it falls short. i think "falling" is a more appropriate term.
i mean, "leaning" works, but i'd argue that only a true friend would say, "go ahead, fall on me." and honestly, think about it...
where does leaning occur in our lives?
we lean on walls casually to look cool, lean on trees when answering natures call in the woods, lean on invisible tables (well, mimes do), and lean back in our chair in 5th grade while the teacher isn't looking.
leaning only surrenders to partial dependency. "un-leaning" is fairly easy. yes, like i said, it's a good metaphor... i just think there is more to it.
think about those leaning examples again.
what if, while in the act of leaning, all of your muscles just suddenly stopped working and you lost all capability to hold yourself up (which is, in essence, what falling is considered)? where would you be? you'd be on the ground at the foot of the wall, sitting in your own "stuff" at the base of the tree in the woods, sprawled out on the floor in the middle of an open space looking like an idiot for falling for no apparent (to the non-mime eye) reason, or on the classroom floor with your head split open and your teacher giving you detention.
leaning can only do so much for us. what is supposed to support us when our muscles stop working, when we just can't manage to support ourselves? what about when we can't grab hold of anything and start to fall? who are you willing to completely depend on? fall on?
i think there is a two-fold answer to that.
the first is the obvious one, the sunday school answer: God. in fact, i'd say that God asks us to fall in his arms. Using God as a balance-keeping crutch rather than a personal piggy-back transport reveals a life that isn't completely dependent on Him.
But what about when, for one reason or another, we don't see God as an option?
That's where your true friends, your community, come in to the picture. they are the ones with the hoods that we can grab when we slip and start to fall. they are the stable ice skaters in your group that will skate next to you as you give ice skating a try... they will stay by you, knowing full well that you will begin to fall and grab hold of their arm... you know that you can reach out for their arm when you start to fall... and you know that they'll keep you up because they are so solid. sure, sometimes both fall, but even so... if they do go down with you, they'll help you up.
like i said--God is ready and willing to be that support. i think that the support sometimes comes in the form of the friends and community that He puts in our lives because He knows that we'll need that.
*side note* i was looking at how the things in life i like a lot are communicating and community... so i was about to say, i think i am just very fond of anything that has the root "communi" in it... but then i realized that there was this one word: communism. ya, not so supportive of that one. communion is pretty cool though.
anyway.
so, ya. just some stuff i feel pretty strongly about. i am so thankful for those people in my life that i can "fall on," and i can only hope that i can be someone that they can "fall on." life would be ridiculously tough if that kind of support didn't exist.
the snow on the ground is just as big a threat as the snow in the trees.
my first class of the day got canceled... always a bonus, especially on mondays. on the way to my second (and last) class of the day, i was admiring the enormous amounts of fresh snow when i heard the scuffling of panicking feet struggling to find some traction on the icy ground. that's when i felt a hand grab my hood and yank down out of the desperate need for stabilization. luckily, i was fairly balanced and didn't go down with this individual that was a complete stranger to me.
you know the song "lean on me?" great song... i love it.
but looking at the song for a loose metaphor to describe a true and strong friendship--i think it falls short. i think "falling" is a more appropriate term.
i mean, "leaning" works, but i'd argue that only a true friend would say, "go ahead, fall on me." and honestly, think about it...
where does leaning occur in our lives?
we lean on walls casually to look cool, lean on trees when answering natures call in the woods, lean on invisible tables (well, mimes do), and lean back in our chair in 5th grade while the teacher isn't looking.
leaning only surrenders to partial dependency. "un-leaning" is fairly easy. yes, like i said, it's a good metaphor... i just think there is more to it.
think about those leaning examples again.
what if, while in the act of leaning, all of your muscles just suddenly stopped working and you lost all capability to hold yourself up (which is, in essence, what falling is considered)? where would you be? you'd be on the ground at the foot of the wall, sitting in your own "stuff" at the base of the tree in the woods, sprawled out on the floor in the middle of an open space looking like an idiot for falling for no apparent (to the non-mime eye) reason, or on the classroom floor with your head split open and your teacher giving you detention.
leaning can only do so much for us. what is supposed to support us when our muscles stop working, when we just can't manage to support ourselves? what about when we can't grab hold of anything and start to fall? who are you willing to completely depend on? fall on?
i think there is a two-fold answer to that.
the first is the obvious one, the sunday school answer: God. in fact, i'd say that God asks us to fall in his arms. Using God as a balance-keeping crutch rather than a personal piggy-back transport reveals a life that isn't completely dependent on Him.
But what about when, for one reason or another, we don't see God as an option?
That's where your true friends, your community, come in to the picture. they are the ones with the hoods that we can grab when we slip and start to fall. they are the stable ice skaters in your group that will skate next to you as you give ice skating a try... they will stay by you, knowing full well that you will begin to fall and grab hold of their arm... you know that you can reach out for their arm when you start to fall... and you know that they'll keep you up because they are so solid. sure, sometimes both fall, but even so... if they do go down with you, they'll help you up.
like i said--God is ready and willing to be that support. i think that the support sometimes comes in the form of the friends and community that He puts in our lives because He knows that we'll need that.
*side note* i was looking at how the things in life i like a lot are communicating and community... so i was about to say, i think i am just very fond of anything that has the root "communi" in it... but then i realized that there was this one word: communism. ya, not so supportive of that one. communion is pretty cool though.
anyway.
so, ya. just some stuff i feel pretty strongly about. i am so thankful for those people in my life that i can "fall on," and i can only hope that i can be someone that they can "fall on." life would be ridiculously tough if that kind of support didn't exist.
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