Aug 27 2009: In Memory

Aug 27, 2009 by

I did not take a photograph today because I was simply too sad. I continue to feel incredible grief over the passing of Edward Kennedy. I find relief in the sight of his smile on Inauguration day this past January, that he got to be here for that. And I find myself in complete tears when I see the clips of him giving RFK’s eulogy, and all the eulogies he has given since then for the members of his family that left this Earth before him.

Besides this truly heartbreaking time in seeing such a great man pass, another good man passed as well. A colleague of mine lost his life while in the midst of a medical procedure. Someone that I used to work with quite a bit in the past, and who I took for granted and bitched about for no real good reason besides the fact that he worked in a different department. I’m am saddened by the loss of him as well.

Finally, I am saddened over the death of a bird. Yes, a bird! Yesterday morning, while walking into work with Mike, and heartbroken over Kennedy’s passing, I almost stepped on an old fat bird just sitting on the sidewalk. Stunned, I stopped and looked down. It was alive but seemed very old. As if I wasn’t already sad enough, tears streamed down my face as I worried about it getting squashed by the crowd of students that ride bikes and dashes on that same stretch of sidewalk to get to class. Mike, who also has a sensitive heart for animals, told me that he was going to move the bird over to the lawn. So he went to grab a towel from his office. On his way back out we saw the bird hop over to the lawn. Relieved at the sight, I calmed down and we went over to the UMC to grab a drink and a bagel. Sadly, on the way back from there, we noticed that the bird had died, and was resting on the lawn. I quietly cried, while Mike moved the bird and buried it under a tree and placed a little cross made of twigs on top of it’s grave. The bird was so symbolic of what we experienced yesterday, the circle of life. And while I mourn the loss of these two great men, and an old majestic bird, I am comforted by the news that a friend of mine went into labor tonight to give birth to her daughter.

there is no picture from today, but one I took several weeks ago on campus, that reminds me of heaven.

there is no picture from today, but one I took several weeks ago on campus, that reminds me of heaven.

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Aug 26 2009: The Lion

Aug 26, 2009 by

Today, a personal hero of mine died. There are no words to describe what he meant to me. And even though we knew this day was coming, when I woke up to the news I broke into tears. Everything about who he was as a person and as a senator is so ingrained in my heart, that his absence in this world will affect me forever. It’s no big secret that I am not only a very serious and proud Democrat, but that I have deep and thorough liberal ideology. I do not deny this, nor will I ever. It is as serious to me as is my religion, always has been, and always will be. It’s why I dedicated all those hours and years to getting a B.A. in Political Science. So to the say the least, I do not take this kind of thing lightly. It’s easy to understand why Edward Kennedy meant so much to me. He was the unwavering model of my ideology. He was a man who was not ashamed of his beliefs or his religion, which I happen to share with him. He was a man who put the weight of the world on his big strong shoulders. And he was a man that supported all of his family with love, commitment, and encouragement. He was not perfect, but that made him more endearing. He was human. And as an imperfect person, who could have packed it up and gone home, he committed himself even more so to his cause. I don’t have to reiterate his accomplishments or describe his life’s mission (to help those who needed help the most), but just say that I am who I am because of him. And I am better off in this life because of him. And so are you. Whether you sit right or left of center, you cannot deny, nor should you, the goodness of this person.

I am so tempted to lash out at all the nasty and despicable people who are trying to squash the health care reform bill right now. I am filled with intense anger that there are people in this country that will do whatever they can to manipulate honest Americans into fearing health care reform in an effort to protect the insurance industry that cares so much more about the bottom line than the health of Americans. Now more than ever I am appalled that anyone would dare tarnish such good deeds and desires with ugly and inaccurate labels. Maybe it is my Catholic background, much like Teddy’s, that wants to help those who need help. That wants to encourage life for everybody. Those terribly hypocritical right-wing social conservatives that work so hard to eradicate a woman’s right to choose will in the same breath look at 47 million people without health insurance and feel no unease. And why is that? It’s not about attitude or hard work or free markets. It’s about lining their own pockets and the pockets of their lobbyist friends from the insurance industry. Plain and simple.

But I digress. The point is that without a model like Teddy Kennedy to shine a light in my life, I would not be the person that I am today and for that I am forever grateful that he lived and forever grateful that he never gave up.

One of my favorite photos. At age 30, like me, with a full life ahead of him to make a difference.

One of my favorite photos. At age 30, like me, with a full life ahead of him to make a difference.

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Aug 21 2009: Global Jam

Aug 21, 2009 by

The incoming freshman class was born in 1991. How scary is that? And all these young ones stormed on campus earlier this week. Today was the convocation and the “Global Jam”, which is a free event to students, faculty, and staff to celebrate the upcoming school year. They call it a Global Jam because they serve food from different parts of the world and play diverse music. The food is almost always terrible, it’s always a million degrees, and the crowds get worse every year, but we still went out there and wormed our way through the bright, young, and eager to get a bratwurst and green tea cookie.

Here’s the only picture I took today:

A sample of the new freshman class.

A sample of the new freshman class.

On this day, I am always reminded of my own convocation that was incredibly special to me. It’s one of my happiest college memories. Here’s the scrapbook page I made about it, click on the image to read the text.

Click on the image to read about it.

Click on the image to read about it.

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Friday Five

Aug 21, 2009 by

From fridayfive.org. Wanna play along? Post this on your blog too. Or leave your responses in a comment.

1. Who in your life is most likely at any time to be in a state of confusion?

No one in my personal life, but there is a co-worker that seems to be constantly confused. In fact, this particular co-worker has never not been confused when we’ve spoken. It’s maddening!

2. Some people have described nirvana as a state of perfect nothingness. Which of the fifty United States could best be described as a state of perfect nothingness?

I would say Alaska because so few people actually live there and it is so huge. It’s interesting to think about how there are places in Alaska where humans have never been.

3. When were you last asked to state your name and address?

At the library, when I got a new library card a couple of weeks ago.

4. How many of the United States have you been in?

28

5. Why does it seem harder to maintain a positive state of mind than to maintain a negative state of mind?

From my perspective it’s because we’re overloaded at work and at home. It seems like there is always someone asking someone else to go above and beyond and that gets frustrating. Positivity suffers under the weight of demands and turns us into cranky monsters.

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Aug 16 2009: Rochelle & Persephone

Aug 16, 2009 by

Today is self-portrait today, and I actually remembered! I brought along a little guest. I’ve been wanting to get a picture of me and Persephone for a long time, and so this is it.

Me and my girl!

Me and my girl!

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