Long-Delayed Update
The speaker who came to motivate us talked of “dead wood” in our lives, and how the storms clear that dead wood and make the tree of ourselves stronger. However, I don’t have any “dead wood.” And I didn’t have any dead wood. But my tree is damaged. I’ll explain. Trees have branches called “leaders.” Merriam Webster defines this as the “a primary or terminal shoot of a plant.” There are usually only one or two on a tree, and this leader is an extension of the solid trunk; the growth of the tree follows this thick branch. My leader has been violently ripped off the tree, destroying years of growth. It was coursing with life right up until the day it was agonizingly twisted and then wrenched free of the rest of me. Thus, I will start out in a new direction and forget about that old branch. The tree still lives and is stronger for it. It doesn’t need any crutch or enabler to get through these rough days; it only needs time. Time to forget and bottle up and throw away.
There you have it. I’m moved in, feeling pretty good about classes starting tomorrow, and staying in touch with some people. Working out is going well, I am finding times and places to play the piano, and I resolved all of my connectivity issues with the TechDesk. Scoped out campus, walked through the arches, ate some food, cooked Oatmeal successfully, enjoyed life! The weather is picture perfect. I am looking forward to meeting people in my classes because they will be the ones I will really want to get to know better. Every girl I talk to is smoking or has a tatoo (well not every girl, I have met some very cool women) but classes do serve as a rudimentary people-sorter. Opposites do attract, but within reason!
I could write for hours about everything that has happened; but I can only share a couple of highlights. During the ice breaker, we heard a very sad story about a man from 3rd floor Cretin. Yes, he was kicked in the groin by a girl, sent to the emergency room with something ruptured, and suffered the humility of surgery. We all felt for him; there was a moment of silence for his loss. However, he can still have kids! What else … oh yes they put a brand-new floor in the weight-room and it looks like a couple of new machines and some mirrors and the like. It is very nice! In addition, it is an excellent place to meet people. Places to play piano include: Koch Commons, pratice rooms on South campus, Grace basement, and UV Cafe on first floor Cretin.
I still remember joking how maybe the Cretin-Grace brother-sister floors wouldn’t go 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, and on but how they might go, say, 2-3. Which is exactly what has happened. Strange, isn’t it?
I need to call Matthew, Steve, and Tina. I need to mail Nils and Marty something. I need to get to bed on time tonight! Sleep is a beautiful thing.