I'm back from way off yonder. In fact, I've been back for about 30 hours, now. In that circadian cycle I've flattened and replaced one tire, cleaned up vandalism done to my house, worked two shifts at the restaurant, and made curry out of leftovers.
I'd say it's about time for a post.
Being a student meant my life was punctuated by gaps and spaces, small breaks for resting and for recollection of self. Being whatever I am now means life is constantly running, like a brook. It might not flow with the force of an academic fire hose, but then again, you can't shut it off. Life just flows on past me, and I have to harness the moment as best I can. Slowly, and with teeth-grinding meticulousness, my inner calendar is being changed from a semester-centric one to one where days are days, weeks are weeks, years are years.
New York was a place for growing up. I was able to realize how much I've grown since freshman year, anyway. New York was also incredibly relaxing for me. It seemed like every little piece of me was accepted and affirmed. I could just be. And serve. And laugh. And observe the passage of my little stream of consciousness, without fear. Thanks for knowing it.
Posted by nickles at October 21, 2004 11:46 PMWell now you know why I love it.
Posted by: jkrue at October 21, 2004 11:50 PMYeah, I wish you had been there with me. I would love to have seen you in action. In a way, it WAS like you were there. I kept remembering stories and pictures you shared with me from previous trips.
The Bowery Mission rocks the free world. (Because free people are usually selfish, this sort of thing challenges them. Yeah, that's it.)
Posted by: bob at October 22, 2004 06:13 PMHey J and B,
B specifically:
So good that you are rooming with M. He's influencing your prose style.
The changeover from semester-centric to normal doesn't quite make the shift for me and other teachers I know...one in particular I know well. :) Because my life is still about making to the end of the marking period, to Thanksgiving Break, to Christmas Break (10 weekends in a row of boyfriend/family hangout!!!! Oh I shall be spoiled), to the end of the semester and thinking about writing finals, administering them, and grading them, and all the other discrete and annoying responsibilities that come along with life...laundry, cooking food, oil changes, paying bills, etc.
Welcome to post-college quarter-life crisis. You get used to it, and you eventually thrive in it. Kinda like acclamating to a different culture. (Thanks for making me read that book, M. It was great to learn about experiential studies.)
Enough for now.
Posted by: Krista at October 22, 2004 06:31 PMYour stream of consciousness is NOT little.
Posted by: jeep at October 22, 2004 10:14 PMThanks, jeep. I wouldn't want stream-of-consciousness-envy. But is bigger always better? That is the question.
And thanks, Krista. You're right about cultures. They don't always run along geographical lines.
Posted by: bob at October 23, 2004 12:17 AM