I've had this blog for a long time. It's about time to start something new.

Life is a funny thing. In the big scheme of things, each day is important. Each day you are going to see people you may never see again. You have moments that will never return or replay. On the other hand, a day can be droll and mundane, repetitive and ordinary. More important than hours, however, are the lives that happen around us. Whether they direct us or are indifferent to our existence, they are important. Here, I shall highlight* a few around me.

Lily
A girl in transition. I see this one every day and she is the most immediate and poignant reminder of how important each day is. When I came to live with her, she was 50% of her current height and was in a babbling stage of sorts. Now her comprehension is quite impressive as is her vocabulary. At the same time, she's still a babe that can sometimes be rocked to sleep and wants arms to run into when everything in the world seems wrong.

Franc
It's interesting how so many value their past and roots and forget that others likely share as rich a history. Franc is a man who makes it easy to focus on his habits and appearance, odd and dusty as they may be. A citizen of the local tent city, he sets on a daily sojourn to the west side of Grove Avenue to observe the seemingly nonexistent happenings of a mostly abandoned farm. I wonder what he sees in the hours of observation and state of neglect that the rest of us miss in our assumed, but not necessarily validated, hurriedness.

August
A ginger, wild and untamed in her passion for life and Christ. Though young, she's experienced, broken, and transparent in her failures. I find myself in the unique position of being invited to speak wisdom and guidance into her life, when I myself am only a few years further into the journey. Her approach to each day comes with hope, fragility, fear, and life. A paradoxic balance which leaves her in a constant state of exposure. Combined with her vacillating longings, I hope the life she experiences, boys she encounters, and emotions she battles continue pushing her towards her Creator.

As always, there's more to speak of. Perhaps for another post in another time. It's a beautiful day and one to consider The Sacrifice. What do you consider worth sacrificing for?

*with names changed, of course.

I'm surrounded by what some Americans would consider poverty. It's a terribly vicious cycle. Anybody want a kitten?

Only sometimes is it a beautiful thing.

Drugs and miscarriages.

What a day.

Solomon, it's time to share.
T. Hayden, my respect for you grows daily.

"at that point, you have polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which are carcinogens"

and

"I got to castrate a baby pig today".

I feel quite privileged to be surrounded by such people.

today i am working on my second tpa, hence why i write here. i was considering the various mediums people cling to and become dependent upon.

i toy with thoughts of what ifs.. what if i were addicted to common elements such as the bottle, pipe, needle, or bed? what would life look like and how would my everyday thought process differ?

more and more i come to realize that i do have an addicting personality. it's easy to say that i am free from such bondage, but one must be honest. I sit here with 10 holes in my ears because i enjoy the feeling, and i just cracked open my jar of gourmet mediterranean sea salt flakes, when i haven't even bothered to make lunch for myself today (and.. i just realized it's nearly 6pm). i'm not one to believe that such tendencies are necessarily bad.. just the object of desire must be focused.

at one point last semester, i coldly replied to a librarian that we each have our own vice. i've never been one to take much motherly criticism from people who have yet to earn such a voice. it's true though, to each his own. what is your vice?

i'll continue to ponder what life would look like if my addictions were redirected. in limited quantity, such thoughts probably provide a healthy perspective to my place in society.

In the mean time, NaCl, C6H8O7, and adrenaline rushes will suffice for me...

Not what I would have ever expected, but it's been an overall good year.

89 students (so far)
36 units
10 weddings altogether
14 states
9 countries
4 weddings attended
2 kittens
1 graduation
1 brand new niece :)
5 hours til I cross the pacific again

we'll see what comes in ten...

2/4 case studies done at the moment. It's hard to believe this is my second all-nighter within one week.

Oh well, it has otherwise been a rather kick back semester. Had to get rough at some point, eh?

Yesterday I took my RICA. Providing I passed, I have finished my CBEST, CSET, RICA, and now just have four TPAs to complete by June (three after tomorrow). No more standardized tests!

Back to life. Graduation in 12 days. Huzzah!

Edit: And I might be going to S.Korea at the end of the month. Double Huzzah!