subway love

I miss the subways.

I don't miss subway changes, or express trains running local, but I miss the opportunity to have fifteen to twenty minutes each day (and many times more), where I could think about what it is excatly God is trying to teach me.

My favorite lesson ever learned on the subway is this:

In New York City you come across all diferent kinds of people. Fat people, short people, Asian people, Europeans, tourists, impoverished people, kids, etc... I used to get on the subway and look at all of these people and think nothing of them. Occasionaly even, someone would get on and my first thought would be "Wow, I feel sorry for them"(said in my head with a tone of attitude). Then one day, God reminded me that he made each of these people. No matter what they looked like, or where they came from, he thought them out, every last detail about the way the looked, or where they'd be born. From that point on, I saw the people on the subways differently.

Upon returning to Louisiana, I have not had this mentality, but God reminded me of it, and my goal is to think this way of the people I come into contact with here.

The Sound of Music

I've decided to bring music back into my life.

I say that all the time, but this time, I mean it. I'll do whatever it takes.

You see, there used to be a time when, if you needed a singer, I was there for you. My only goal in life was to somehow do this professionally, no matter what it took. My goals have since changed, but my passion for it has not. These past few years, the lack of opportunity to sing has bothered me tremendously.

It's not just singing either.

I miss being multi-instrumental. I miss my flute, and my trombone, and the few chances to play on Ma-Maw's piano. Because the preceding three are currently inaccessible, I have picked up my guitars, and am now, after just a few short hours of practice, back to where I was when I stopped playing them about three years ago (which is not all THAT good, my fingers aren't quite long enough for most of the stuff I want to play).

Music comes easy to me, it always has. I just hope to somehow get to use this in my life very soon. I'm going to be much more proactive about it. I can't stand it any longer. For the past few years, I've definitely felt it's absence, and it hurts. No longer will I let this go on. Somehow, someway, I will bring the music back into my life.

Appalachian is HOT HOT HOT

After many months of waiting, the time has finally arrived and college football is back into full gear.

All of our housing issues were worked out and we ended up at Caitlin's grandma's house in Meridian after what was probably one of the funnest football games I'd ever been to Thursday night.

I expected fun, after all, it's Tiger Football, but Mississippi State does not always make for an exciting game (the final score as 45-0 in favor of LSU), but being on the front row, right next to the band, with a good many of my closest friends standing beside me, meetin the chancellor and Van Chancellor, not to mention the RAIN, made for a pretty memorable night. Despite the sounds of obnoxious maroon cowbells, our student section cheered away. To counteract MSU's ONE obnoxious cheer (here, see if you can do it: Go State, Go State, GO STATE!), LSU gave 'em a taste of what real cheering is, and by request of both a Louisiana and a Mississippi state trooper, the token "Go the hell Ole Miss," just to be nice and cheer as friends. We figured since both LSU and MSU love that one, and we were beating them about 39-0 at this point, we'd allow for one friendly gesture.

The next day, a broadcast e-mail was sent out announcing that the new tiger would be released into his habitat a week ahead of schedule. Apparently, this cub, the two-year-old product of an unwanted pregnancy between a Siberian and Bengal tiger in Indianappolis, was way more ready for the crowd than expected. I remember coming up to Baton Rouge to see Mike V when he was a baby, and the tears I shed in May when I got the e-mail saying he had died, so I was determined to be there to get the first glimpse of the soon-to-be Mike VI. I hopped on the bike, rode under the towering East Upper Deck of the stadium, locked the bike up to the PMAC, and awaited his release. Without ceremony or announcement, suddenly the tiger door opened, and our beautiful new mascot was frolicing about his 2.2 million dollar home. The crowd gasped, little kids pushed their way to the front, and big kids like me cried (as I am doing now just thinking about it). What a wonderful moment to witness. They say they're not sure if he'll be ready to go to the game next week, but he looked so happy and hyper and he LOVED the crowd, I can't imagine them not allowing him to be there to intimidate Virginia Tech. I'm getting chills just thinking about it.

Tod Graves, the Raisin' Cane's guy, was there with his dog, so I can now say that I have gotten to pet Cane the dog, and she was SOOOO sweet. Plus I've alwasy wanted to meet this Graves fellow, cuz I hear he's a nice guy for being a multi-millionare, and he was. One Love. I began craving Canes and had it for lunch. I spent the rest of the day on the couch watching college football, doing a little bit of reading for school, and wondering how in the world Appalachain State beat the number five team in the country in the largest stadium in America. Crazy!

Did I mention how glad I am it's football season?