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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

settling down with this mind

fame, fame,
chasing an empty frame
stirring up
a desperate perusal of pages for meaning

continual searching for the next thing;
i signed an acceptance letter today,
i fulfilled a dream.
And, yet, I'm still looking?

and a whispering thought
"what with the incarnation and all"

[pause]

how can...i...
say i believe
then set my worth; identity
on a program
on a dead tree; degree

candle burning and it's out.
to be blunt; that is my life.
be still now, settle down.
trust in God
the God who came
not in means.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Land Ahoy, submitted!

The long journey has culminated in clicking the "submit" button last night on my first (and hopefully only!) graduate school application to the Natural Resources Science and Management Program at the U of M. Hurray! I thought this quote was applicable-- it encouraged me very much along the way....

“Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.”
—Fitzhugh Dodson

The journey is incredibly important, yet it stagnates if a goal (or even a direction) is not identified. It's definitely not easy. But it takes small steps a day at a time, combined with big dreams and loads of faith.

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Dance, dance, dance

"Why do girls love dancing?"
-Andy

Dear Andy,
This is a thoughtful question that one can't answer standing still!
I've been thinking about it since we were a two-steppin' last Saturday.
Why do I love dancing?
There's something about a beat, especially when combined with chords of a banjo,
mandolin, or guitar that makes me want to move.
My hips want to sway, my arms ache to swing, my head needs to bob!
I just want to .... release? let go? express? be a fool? be seen?

When I was young, I was so fearful about dancing in front of people.
Well, actually, when I was really young I was in dance class through community education in my city. Tap, ballet, and jazz, oh, and lyrical! It was a blast. But entering middle school, there was no rhythm in me to sway to R&B at the dance. And I actually still lack a lot of sense to certain types of music-- even now I get stiff or awkward. But other types just instigate a groove I can't deny!
Click on the "dance, dance, dance" title (from a Steve Miller Song which supports this letter) for an excellent example of sweet-bluegrass-need-to-danceness.