Reflectito

Hey friends, you awesome group of people. Seriously everywhere I go where a photo of us pops up on my computer or something, people just wonder aloud about how cool this group seems. I must agree.

So I'm in DC, and I've been entertaining (aka freaking out over) the temptations of reuniting with those of you guys still in the Ham. Sometime last fall at a faculty workday we were reflecting, in writing, a bit from My Utmost for His Highest (1/26), and I just found it today under stacks of stacks of paper. What struck me about it is the remarkable extent to which it still reflects the way that I'm thinking through this situation. It's not particularly wise, thought out, or informed. I just had a feeling that I ought to share it with you guys, if for no other reason than to say something on here every now and then, a little reminding northern whisper. So:

"Many of us refuse to grow where we are put; consequently we take root nowhere."

This can't have been written in a day before options and from a man unacquainted with transition. And am I to feel "put" here, in NoVA/DC, to take root and grow? Or is this a nursery on the way to some better, more suitable spot, a planter in a living room, a forest in the South, a park in the city, a meadow near a brook.

But what right does a tree have to question where the seed that grew it was scattered? Well I don't know but that this "planting" here is a product of options, of consumerism applied to circumstance, of plotting my own course. So then where is Birmingham? Where is that communal root of such beauty, joy, and service (though not devoid of the plain, the dull, the selfish, and the complacent)?

Maybe at the end of it all, simplicity looks like working without worrying. It isn't the opposite of options, maybe; but it could be opposed to letting the worry over options take control, that tightness in the countenance, the burden of freedom.



So I love yall, and hope you're doing well. I'm sure we'll find some other random excuse to get together for awesomeness before too long. Until then, I miss you.

In following with previous conversations of previous conversations that have led to thoughts of music and songs and albums and concerts and stand up comedy, here are a few things close to my heart. I made two lists, one is of my favorite albums from the college days and best concerts, ever. Hopefully this link works: https://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd6mctth_1dd55n3cv&hl=en

The next is the list of my favorite songs from the last year. A weird list because most of these songs are usually enjoyed in the context of the full album. This list is titled (intothecave) and put together in a way that represents the fact that most of my music listening this last year has been while logging serious hours studying. A lot of slow easy stuff and for some reason old school hip hop works best.

You can sample the list here (but some songs are not included):

SeeqPod - Playable Search

or download the files here:
http://drop.io/intothecave

i hope this music reaches down and gives a gentle touch to some of you...

Ethiopian Happenings...

Hey family! A short anecdote about on the happenings in my life: this past week I was invited to teach a 9^th grade civics class their unit on HIV/AIDS. Sounded like a good idea. Turns out that it was more like a co-ed 9^th grade health class, which is awkward enough when you’re a student. Much worse as the teacher. Anyway, the teacher and I get through the lesson, which is fine, and then I open it up for questions. Most questions are fairly typical: can I get HIV from sweat, what if someone bleeds all over my food and then I eat it (why the heck you would continue eating…?), etc. Then one kid stands up and claims that a nurse once told him that, because he is young and strong (no way he clears 5 feet and weighs maybe 70lbs), his bodily fluids can fight off the HIV virus. He would like to know if this is true. I was tempted to tell him, “yes, in fact. There are little men inside of you with laser guns, poised and ready to fight at a moments notice. If only everyone knew this, HIV wouldn’t be the problem it is today.”

Really the point of this post is to make a request… I’ve been working for awhile on setting up a resource center for students in Finote Selam. We finally got computers donated, set up, and I’m starting to give the teachers training this week. We’re hoping by the next school year that the students will be able to get training too. Now I’m looking for books. Since many of you are at educational institutions, I was wondering if you could keep an eye out? You know how sometimes schools get rid of old books when they update their curriculum? Maybe if that was happening at your school and the old books didn’t have anywhere to go? Or if there were just piles of books laying around with no one using them… we aren’t picky. Any grade, any subject. All their classes are taught in English, which is convenient. If not, no big deal… just thought I’d ask!

Posts lately have been great- you guys are hilarious. Miss you all! Love!

Shmeat

It has come to attention as of late that some members of our illustrious group of sojourners, have decided to participate in a great heresy known as vegetarianism. although we have all been tempted by the large veggie monster at one time or another (i for one once firmly devoted myself to vegetarianism between lunch and dinner) Thankfully Stephen Colbert has the perfect solution to this problem...

http://www.hulu.com/watch/63233/the-colbert-report-world-of-nahlej---shmeat

Hey guys . . .

THIS is what I want to do for my birthday.

BLT! BLT!

BMT! BMT!

Hi friends! Just a quick post about my life. I'm in this internship thing at UAB which has been pretty freakin' awesome actually. It comes to and end in May so I thought I should get on the ball and start interviewing at a few places to secure a job in this crazy 'conomy. Sooo, I interviewed last week on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit (this means I will mostly have patients with leukemias and lymphomas...i.e. cancer) and found out today that I got the job! Wahoo! I start WAY sooner than I thought....ehem, Monday?!? Anyhow, thanks to those of you here in the Ham who knew about my prospects and encouraged me to go to the job fair when I really didn't need to because I was already a UAB employee. Thanks for the encouragement and prayers. I'm pumped! It's a wonderful feeling to love your job!

Also, I think one day I will write a short story about the different types of blood cells with each one of our friends representing a different type of cell based on personality and daily function. This story will be heavily influenced by Rudyard Kipling's writing style (Jungle Book, people) and complete with illustrations. Just and idea that I have been throwing around in my head that edges closer to reality when I'm around Brian Sharon...he brings out my inner nerd. That's all.

Love!

Hipster Handbook: Glossary

Just in case there was any confusion about whether ANY of us could be classified as "hipsters," here's an excerpt of the glossary of hipsterese (a language which neither you, nor  I, speak) found on NPR.

bronson - beer
sentence: "I drank a sixer of bronsons last night while watching the game."
Origin: Watching Charles Bronson movies while drinking beer is deck. The term spawned from this ritual.

bust a moby - to dance
sentence: "Let's go to the Tunnel and bust a moby."
"Did you see her moves at the party last night? She really knows how to bust a moby."

chipper - a woman who's easy
sentence: "She's a real chipper and will sleep with anyone after one bronson."

clothesline - the gossip that is on the scene
sentence: "Yo, I heard on the clothesline that she is sleeping with Billy. She is such a chipper."

cronkite - boy
sentence: "Have you seen Anne's new cronkite? She met him at the cafe and he is such a frado."

deck - a key word for most Hipsters, similar in meaning to the antiquated fresh. To be deck is to be up on the latest trends, cutting edge, and/or hip.
sentence: "That tassel we met at the gallery opening sure looked deck in her cowboy boots."
" Have you checked out the new Jonathan Lethem book? It's deck."


fin - the opposite of deck, similar to outdated terms like "wack" and "lame." Something that is fin is bad or undesirable.
sentence: "How can you like that Vin Diesel movie? Every film he's ever starred in has been fin."
"My date with Larry was so fin. He took me to Applebee's and ordered cheese fries as an appetizer."

frado - an ugly guy who thinks he's good-looking
sentence: "Bill thinks all the girls love him, but they all know he's a frado."

the frigidaire - the cold shoulder
sentence: "I don't know what her problem is, but she gives me the frigidaire every time I see her."
jerry - a stoner or hippie
sentence: My pits smell ishtar. I feel like a total jerry.

juicer - a ladies' man. An individual who has undeniable sex appeal.
sentence: "I wish he would ask me out, he's such a juicer."

jug - a 40 ounce bottle of domestic beer.
sentence: "Tassels respect me. I can drink a whole jug and still bust a mean moby."

kale - money
sentence: "Yo Kim, can you slide me some kale? I'm still waiting for my mom to send rent."

kidsman - one who rounds up children to educate them in thievery. (Oops-this is Victorian slang, not Hipster slang)

midtown - uncultured or unhip
sentence: "He's never heard of Spike Jonze. He's so midtown."

piece - cell phone
sentence: "John is such a nerd. He doesn't even have a piece."
"I must have been on the subway, my piece didn't ring."

shitter - someone who constantly looks like he/she is taking a shit.
sentence: "Dude, Jake is such a shitter."

tassel - girl
sentence: "Jim is definitely a frado, but somehow he gets a new tassel every night."

I like the idea of it more than I actually like it.

Hey guys I know that I am always posting on these blogs and whining about what's going on in my life but here I go again. I have been struggling lately, because i feel like I am being called to really commit to this neighborhood, and have been given the oppurtunity to buy a house here that would be great for me, and a perfect beginner house. However, i am going to be jobless and need to get a job before I can pay for the house. i have interviewed for a job but its looking iffy and its just a hard job market to be out looking for a job in. I feel like God is teaching me to be patient, and that he has a plan i just need to be faithful and trust in him, but its just hard and frustrating at times. So anyways just wanted to catch ya'll up on my life. I love all of you guys and misses ya'll i am blessed to know you and count you as my friends. Points if you know what movie the title of my post comes from.