Clap, clap, clap...my feet hit the pavement in regular rhythm as I run through the streets of New York. My running mix is keeping time in my ears while I unobtrusively take in the humanity around me. It is times like these that my imagination takes flight. Perhaps it is the duration of the run (10mls) that makes it a necessity, perhaps the beauty of the day, perhaps the heterogenicity of the people around me, but my mind is spinning stories about everyone I see, faster than my running pace. A man walks by, 80ish, stooped, with a cane, being supported, or perhaps supporting, someone whom I assume to be his wife. She is equally bent, equally old. Together, they are the epitome of an award-winning black and white photo montage of the people of New York. I name them Irma and Ted, transplants from the Ukraine, who together have seen the rise and fall of many great leaders and ideologies over their long lives. He used to work as small bookstore owner in the old country; she cooked, cleaned, and raised the children until WWII made it imperative for them to leave and start afresh in America. A homeless man with an amputated leg is lying on newspapers on the ground. Swish-swish my pants rustle in the breeze as I pass him by. His name is George, a very aged 40, raised in prosperity but due to some bad choices and risky investments has become one of the street people. He went to Nam and came back a changed man; no longer knew who he was or what he was doing. Does anyone really see him as they pass by? Does anyone want to know his name, his story? I make up tales in my mind, but how far from the truth am I really? The sun sinks lower over the Hudson as I continue my trek to South Ferry. To my left, a couple is running, much faster than I. Annaliese and Jacob, I name them. Inconspicuous, unassuming, seemingly an ordinary middle-aged couple out for their daily run along Riverside Dr. However, they are actually spies, in the employ of a foreign government. I don't know their mission or how long they've been here, but I keep a wary eye on them as I imagine all of the intrigues they must have gotten into in their lives thus far. Perhaps it is because of my diet of Murder She Wrotes or Matlocks, but I think of spies being everywhere. The man picking up the tomato and sniffing it appreciatively, furtively glancing around as he puts it down. The woman with a child in tow who seems to have a lot on her mind; she casually drops a newspaper as she bends over to tend to her child. Is it a newspaper containing a secret message for a contact? Who looks the most normal, the most overlooked? Perhaps the pair of cute little old ladies, knitting away and talking of their great grandchildren. They are much more shrewd and world-wise than their dotty appearance would otherwise indicate. Could they be following the young 20-something with long hair and an iPod who talks to himself? Probably a spy, think I, as I weave a tale of deception and mystery to keep myself company on this long run.
One always reads books of spyish things happening in big cities; such-and-such an event happened in NYC, say, in the 70's. Well, there had to be people walking by when it happened. There had to be someone who noticed something or saw something as the events unfolded. Perhaps someone will write a book in 30 years about some great spy event (what is that even?) that took place in September 2008 in New York City, and I, jogging along, making up stories, will have seen it without even knowing what I am seeing. And I'll read about it years from now. In a city teeming with people from all venues and aspects of life, and with each person such a novel unto himself, there are bound to be many secrets that are being played out today, as I write this. Rather an intriguing thought, I think.
I kick through some early fall leaves and survey the scene before me: sun glistening on the Hudson, people laughing and talking about weekend plans, old men playing checkers in the park, children running and kicking along on their scooters. It is a glorious day, and couldn't be more perfect for running or making up stories.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Nahum
Today's devotional reading in Spurgeon was based on Nahum 1:2, "God is jealous". He says, " Your Lord is very jealous of your love, O believer. Did He choose you? He cannot bear that you should choose another. Did He buy you with His own blood? He cannot endure that you should think that you are your own, or that you belong to this world. He loved you with such a love that He would not stop in heaven without you; He would sooner die than you should perish, and He cannot endure that anything should stand between your heart's love and Himself. He is very jealous of your trust. He will not permit you to trust in an arm of flesh. He cannot bear that you should hew out broken cisterns, when the overflowing fountain is always free to you. When we lean upon Him, He is glad, but when we transfer our dependence to another, when we rely upon our own wisdom, or the wisdom of a friend--worst of all, when we trust in any works of our own, He is displeased, and will chasten us that He may bring us to Himself...Oh that we may have grace this day to keep our hearts in sacred chastity for our Beloved alone, with sacred jealousy shutting our eyes to all the fascinations of the world!"
Minute by minute, I am given the choice: who, or in Whom, am I going to trust with my life? With my present, and my future? May my heart be steadfast, O Lord, and firmly fixed, unwavering, with You as my center, my anchor, my life.
Minute by minute, I am given the choice: who, or in Whom, am I going to trust with my life? With my present, and my future? May my heart be steadfast, O Lord, and firmly fixed, unwavering, with You as my center, my anchor, my life.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Comments on my Previous Post
My dear friend Silas responded to my last post with these comments, and then I responded to his response:
Stef-
I share your cynicism and disillusionment, but I think your basic premise is flawed. You're saying, in effect, "the government is broken in ways a, b, c, so let's fix the government (you said "revolutionize the candidate-picking process) in order to fix my cynicism."
I would go further. All governments are flawed. No government really cares (although individuals within it may care) about the fates, lives, happiness and welfare of the people in it, still less about their opinions, except as those things impinge upon their ability to gain or retain their privileged positions of power. The concept of the public servant is not dead, because in fact it never really lived, except in a couple of isolated cases (but never as the real, properly practiced ethic of an entire system). If you can find me an example to the contrary, I'll reconsider this position.
The solution here is not to give anything back to the people, nor to change the system. The immutable fact evident from history about governments is that they always turn on those of faith, one way or another.
A man (or even you) cannot serve two masters. You can try to fix the government from within, but to do that you have to become part of it, and we know that power corrupts.
My view: yes, the Christian should be cynical about our system or any other system. Systems are run by men, and the hearts of men, we are told, are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Instead (and this is a crucial point for me, surrounded by the unheeded death screams of 300,000,000 confused and dying souls), shouldn't we focus our limited efforts on fixing the world in ways that work? In the ONLY way that really works? Maybe set our mind on things above?
It is, in my view, a serious flaw in American Christianity as manifested today, that Americans tend to place a lot of faith in the corrupt and inevitably decaying government, in the airy philosophical will-o'-the-wisps called democracy and freedom. That faith, placed in those things, will inevitably be disappointed (though they are, perhaps, good things, they cannot be relied upon). Faith placed in the One who never fails, never changes, and cares about each of us deeply and personally will never be disappointed, but will sustain us though leaders should come and go, though nations should rise and fall, though systems should be erected and overturned.
Can we fight for more democracy(whatever that means), better representation, etc? Maybe. I'm not saying "don't vote, don't participate, etc." I am saying that we must keep our eyes fixed and our hope resting on something other than any institution build by humanity, no matter how "democratic" or "free" or "fair" or how much power it gives to "the people" (and who are they, anyway?). The will fail. Faith will endure.
Silas, excellent points. Absolutely, our faith must rest on the Lord, and our eyes must not be fixed on things of the earth, but on Him. And, I agree that all human institutions will fail at some points, since all human institutions are by humans, who are imperfect. However, I am not advocating making government, or even the desire to change government, the point and focus of my life, or any life. Absolutely Christ is the center, and, as you say, to change government you have to become part of it, and power corrupts. Yes, we have seen this time and again. I do disagree with the statement that the 'concept of the public servant is dead, in fact it never really lived.' I would site John Adams as one example. I think that he genuinely had the good of his country in mind. He had to sacrifice a lot in the service of securing America's independence. But, rereading your comment, perhaps you meant that there are no examples of complete systems devoted to the idea of public service. I'll agree with you there; nothing comes to mind for me either.
I guess the point that I was trying to make was this: as someone who treasures Christ, and wants others to see His beauty and see Him for Who He is, I get distressed when I see the state of the world. I think that it is the responsibility of anyone who professes to be a Christian to be deeply concerned about the pain and injustices we see in the world, and to make efforts to help. I do absolutely agree that ultimately, it is the issue of the soul that takes precedence, and everything else pales in comparison. However, I think it was Jesus Who told the parable about the man walking alongside the road who, upon seeing a beggar, said to him, "Peace be with you. May you be well-fed and warm." or something to that effect. But he didn't do anything to help, other than bless him with words. I take umbrage with Christians today who, in my view, politicize faith to such an extent that it no longer is about the Gospel and is everything about pushing yet another agenda. It is reminiscent of what we read about in the New Testament, where everyone expected Jesus to come back and usher in a new government and peaceful times, but what He was really there for was to save man from eternal death and take their place; to do for them what they couldn't do for themselves, and to reconcile them to God. If Christ lives through us, should we not do for those who can't do for themselves?
I do think though that the concepts of democracy and freedom are more concrete than you asserted. We have been blessed to live in a country where I can stand on the street corner and read from the Bible, and aside from some heckling, nothing else really happens to me. I have the freedoms to do things that women in other countries only dream of. Now, nothing other than Christ should be the center and focus of one's life; however, I don't think that gives me license to throw up my hands and say, "well, it's corrupt and always been corrupt, so whatevs." The Bible says that "the king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes." Prov. 21:1 Ultimately, God is in control of all this mess. But He's put me here, in this time, for whatever reason, and, although living Christ to the world is my primary purpose, cannot serving and loving people, perhaps by reformation of corrupt systems, be a secondary?
'Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might'. Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Jesus comes first, no question. But He loves all of us with love incomprehensible, and to love Him is to love what He loves as well. If I am loving Him with all my heart, all my soul, and all my might (something I fail at miserably, moment by moment) should I not love and do what I can for people, whom He loves so much?
Stef-
I share your cynicism and disillusionment, but I think your basic premise is flawed. You're saying, in effect, "the government is broken in ways a, b, c, so let's fix the government (you said "revolutionize the candidate-picking process) in order to fix my cynicism."
I would go further. All governments are flawed. No government really cares (although individuals within it may care) about the fates, lives, happiness and welfare of the people in it, still less about their opinions, except as those things impinge upon their ability to gain or retain their privileged positions of power. The concept of the public servant is not dead, because in fact it never really lived, except in a couple of isolated cases (but never as the real, properly practiced ethic of an entire system). If you can find me an example to the contrary, I'll reconsider this position.
The solution here is not to give anything back to the people, nor to change the system. The immutable fact evident from history about governments is that they always turn on those of faith, one way or another.
A man (or even you) cannot serve two masters. You can try to fix the government from within, but to do that you have to become part of it, and we know that power corrupts.
My view: yes, the Christian should be cynical about our system or any other system. Systems are run by men, and the hearts of men, we are told, are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Instead (and this is a crucial point for me, surrounded by the unheeded death screams of 300,000,000 confused and dying souls), shouldn't we focus our limited efforts on fixing the world in ways that work? In the ONLY way that really works? Maybe set our mind on things above?
It is, in my view, a serious flaw in American Christianity as manifested today, that Americans tend to place a lot of faith in the corrupt and inevitably decaying government, in the airy philosophical will-o'-the-wisps called democracy and freedom. That faith, placed in those things, will inevitably be disappointed (though they are, perhaps, good things, they cannot be relied upon). Faith placed in the One who never fails, never changes, and cares about each of us deeply and personally will never be disappointed, but will sustain us though leaders should come and go, though nations should rise and fall, though systems should be erected and overturned.
Can we fight for more democracy(whatever that means), better representation, etc? Maybe. I'm not saying "don't vote, don't participate, etc." I am saying that we must keep our eyes fixed and our hope resting on something other than any institution build by humanity, no matter how "democratic" or "free" or "fair" or how much power it gives to "the people" (and who are they, anyway?). The will fail. Faith will endure.
Silas, excellent points. Absolutely, our faith must rest on the Lord, and our eyes must not be fixed on things of the earth, but on Him. And, I agree that all human institutions will fail at some points, since all human institutions are by humans, who are imperfect. However, I am not advocating making government, or even the desire to change government, the point and focus of my life, or any life. Absolutely Christ is the center, and, as you say, to change government you have to become part of it, and power corrupts. Yes, we have seen this time and again. I do disagree with the statement that the 'concept of the public servant is dead, in fact it never really lived.' I would site John Adams as one example. I think that he genuinely had the good of his country in mind. He had to sacrifice a lot in the service of securing America's independence. But, rereading your comment, perhaps you meant that there are no examples of complete systems devoted to the idea of public service. I'll agree with you there; nothing comes to mind for me either.
I guess the point that I was trying to make was this: as someone who treasures Christ, and wants others to see His beauty and see Him for Who He is, I get distressed when I see the state of the world. I think that it is the responsibility of anyone who professes to be a Christian to be deeply concerned about the pain and injustices we see in the world, and to make efforts to help. I do absolutely agree that ultimately, it is the issue of the soul that takes precedence, and everything else pales in comparison. However, I think it was Jesus Who told the parable about the man walking alongside the road who, upon seeing a beggar, said to him, "Peace be with you. May you be well-fed and warm." or something to that effect. But he didn't do anything to help, other than bless him with words. I take umbrage with Christians today who, in my view, politicize faith to such an extent that it no longer is about the Gospel and is everything about pushing yet another agenda. It is reminiscent of what we read about in the New Testament, where everyone expected Jesus to come back and usher in a new government and peaceful times, but what He was really there for was to save man from eternal death and take their place; to do for them what they couldn't do for themselves, and to reconcile them to God. If Christ lives through us, should we not do for those who can't do for themselves?
I do think though that the concepts of democracy and freedom are more concrete than you asserted. We have been blessed to live in a country where I can stand on the street corner and read from the Bible, and aside from some heckling, nothing else really happens to me. I have the freedoms to do things that women in other countries only dream of. Now, nothing other than Christ should be the center and focus of one's life; however, I don't think that gives me license to throw up my hands and say, "well, it's corrupt and always been corrupt, so whatevs." The Bible says that "the king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes." Prov. 21:1 Ultimately, God is in control of all this mess. But He's put me here, in this time, for whatever reason, and, although living Christ to the world is my primary purpose, cannot serving and loving people, perhaps by reformation of corrupt systems, be a secondary?
'Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might'. Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Jesus comes first, no question. But He loves all of us with love incomprehensible, and to love Him is to love what He loves as well. If I am loving Him with all my heart, all my soul, and all my might (something I fail at miserably, moment by moment) should I not love and do what I can for people, whom He loves so much?
Monday, September 8, 2008
Lou Dobbs is the MAN!
(Disclaimer: I am writing this late at night, and so if there are typos or missing words, it is due to sleep-deprivation, not sloppy editing :) )
So, I've been really note-crazy recently. There has been a lot on my mind, and tonight was no exception. I just got back from what was, hands down, the coolest thing I have done in NYC thus far. Some friends and I went to the Lou Dobbs show, going out live from the CNN studio at the Time Warner Center. It was an intimate setting, and I was just so excited to be there. Mr. Dobbs is a self-proclaimed independent populist, but I was very impressed with how he showcased guests with varying points of view. One of my friends commented that he really appreciated how Mr. Dobbs didn't let his emotion get in the way of presenting the facts, and talked about the shortcomings of each side, and also praised them where they were strong.
Many issues were raised about the current state of political affairs and what the candidates are, or are not, saying about the issues. So many things to say, I don't even know where to start. One of the biggies was about getting the nomination and election system out of the hands of special interests and into the hands of the people again. Mr. Dobbs made a fantastic point when he asked why we treat our candidate-finding differently from how we would chose a CEO, or a PTA board member. Why don't we search for the best candidates in our communities? They should run on their merits, not on the party line. They should speak from their beliefs, not just what the majority wants to hear. It seems like the guys with the most hubris are the ones who enter the race and then get funded by 'big business' and other special interest groups. The so-called 'voice of the people' can't really speak for the people if he is muzzled by his contributors. It should be that anyone can have a chance to run, and that campaigns would be publically funded, so that no one (or even a few) groups would be able to dictate the candidate's message. He could get up there, and say, "Hey, this is what I believe in. This is what I see as the problems that need to be addressed. This is what I propose to do about it." Nobody pulling the strings in the background.
In the Q & A after the show, one man was very fired up about action. He made the point, quite accurately, in my opinion, that people can't sit and complain about the state of government if they don't want to do anything about it. Get involved. Get active in your community. Etc. I raised my hand, but the convo moved away to another subject, but I wanted to say, "I understand that people do not really have a leg to stand on if they shake their fists at the big bad government from the luxury of their Laz-y-Boys. However, I am only 26 and already I feel cynical and jaded about our system. Honestly, I am not excited about either candidate. I appreciate aspects of each, but I don't know which way I am going to vote. Furthermore, I have a lot of ideas about what could be done with many, many things in society, but frankly, I am very skeptical of my voice ever really being heard. This will be the second presidential election that I have been able to vote in, and part of me doesn't even want to. I feel like it is the same old play, just with different actors playing the lead roles. No one wants to give us a concrete plan of what they will really do to 'change' (there's my favorite word again) things; and really, how can they? I might vote for Obama or McCain, but I am going to get the hundreds of guys behind them who will push their agendas, and will probably succeed too because of what Obama or McCain would owe them for getting elected. So, yes, I want to get involved in my community. I want to start here, now, and revolutionize the candidate-picking process, voter registration standards and guidelines, the economy, schools, immigration, the war, etc. But I am tired; tired of hearing the same old thing. Tired of seeing men promise to do a bunch of stuff, and then not do it. Time after time after time. So it isn't so much apathy or laziness; it's despair of ever making a difference. My vote feels like a cotton ball thrown into the ocean."
Someone could, and probably will, come back to me and say that my cotton ball, added to everyone else's cotton ball, will blanket the ocean and change its dynamic. Hah. I've heard that before (with a dif analogy) and nothing has happened. In every aspect of life, talk is cheap.Actions are what prove the veracity of a claim. Like Eliza Doolittle sang to Freddy, "Words, words, words, I'm so sick of words, I get words all day through; first from him, now from you, is that all you blighters can do? Sing me no song, read me no rhyme, don't waste my time, show me! Don't talk of June, don't talk of fall, don't talk at all, show me!"
I am sick of 'empty rhetoric', sick of feeling like the country that was founded on the principles of government 'of the people, for the people, by the people' is now the government 'of the guys with the most money, for them and their cronies, by any corporation who forks over the big bucks'. I am sick of feeling like the only difference I can really make is confined to the marks the letters are making on this computer screen.
Well, back to the show. I have never been so enthralled by politics in my life. I could have sat there for hours, weighing the arguments of each side. Lou Dobbs is brilliant, in my opinion, and the show was amazing. He's doing this all week, and I am definitely going to tune in. I wish I could be there every night!
So, I've been really note-crazy recently. There has been a lot on my mind, and tonight was no exception. I just got back from what was, hands down, the coolest thing I have done in NYC thus far. Some friends and I went to the Lou Dobbs show, going out live from the CNN studio at the Time Warner Center. It was an intimate setting, and I was just so excited to be there. Mr. Dobbs is a self-proclaimed independent populist, but I was very impressed with how he showcased guests with varying points of view. One of my friends commented that he really appreciated how Mr. Dobbs didn't let his emotion get in the way of presenting the facts, and talked about the shortcomings of each side, and also praised them where they were strong.
Many issues were raised about the current state of political affairs and what the candidates are, or are not, saying about the issues. So many things to say, I don't even know where to start. One of the biggies was about getting the nomination and election system out of the hands of special interests and into the hands of the people again. Mr. Dobbs made a fantastic point when he asked why we treat our candidate-finding differently from how we would chose a CEO, or a PTA board member. Why don't we search for the best candidates in our communities? They should run on their merits, not on the party line. They should speak from their beliefs, not just what the majority wants to hear. It seems like the guys with the most hubris are the ones who enter the race and then get funded by 'big business' and other special interest groups. The so-called 'voice of the people' can't really speak for the people if he is muzzled by his contributors. It should be that anyone can have a chance to run, and that campaigns would be publically funded, so that no one (or even a few) groups would be able to dictate the candidate's message. He could get up there, and say, "Hey, this is what I believe in. This is what I see as the problems that need to be addressed. This is what I propose to do about it." Nobody pulling the strings in the background.
In the Q & A after the show, one man was very fired up about action. He made the point, quite accurately, in my opinion, that people can't sit and complain about the state of government if they don't want to do anything about it. Get involved. Get active in your community. Etc. I raised my hand, but the convo moved away to another subject, but I wanted to say, "I understand that people do not really have a leg to stand on if they shake their fists at the big bad government from the luxury of their Laz-y-Boys. However, I am only 26 and already I feel cynical and jaded about our system. Honestly, I am not excited about either candidate. I appreciate aspects of each, but I don't know which way I am going to vote. Furthermore, I have a lot of ideas about what could be done with many, many things in society, but frankly, I am very skeptical of my voice ever really being heard. This will be the second presidential election that I have been able to vote in, and part of me doesn't even want to. I feel like it is the same old play, just with different actors playing the lead roles. No one wants to give us a concrete plan of what they will really do to 'change' (there's my favorite word again) things; and really, how can they? I might vote for Obama or McCain, but I am going to get the hundreds of guys behind them who will push their agendas, and will probably succeed too because of what Obama or McCain would owe them for getting elected. So, yes, I want to get involved in my community. I want to start here, now, and revolutionize the candidate-picking process, voter registration standards and guidelines, the economy, schools, immigration, the war, etc. But I am tired; tired of hearing the same old thing. Tired of seeing men promise to do a bunch of stuff, and then not do it. Time after time after time. So it isn't so much apathy or laziness; it's despair of ever making a difference. My vote feels like a cotton ball thrown into the ocean."
Someone could, and probably will, come back to me and say that my cotton ball, added to everyone else's cotton ball, will blanket the ocean and change its dynamic. Hah. I've heard that before (with a dif analogy) and nothing has happened. In every aspect of life, talk is cheap.Actions are what prove the veracity of a claim. Like Eliza Doolittle sang to Freddy, "Words, words, words, I'm so sick of words, I get words all day through; first from him, now from you, is that all you blighters can do? Sing me no song, read me no rhyme, don't waste my time, show me! Don't talk of June, don't talk of fall, don't talk at all, show me!"
I am sick of 'empty rhetoric', sick of feeling like the country that was founded on the principles of government 'of the people, for the people, by the people' is now the government 'of the guys with the most money, for them and their cronies, by any corporation who forks over the big bucks'. I am sick of feeling like the only difference I can really make is confined to the marks the letters are making on this computer screen.
Well, back to the show. I have never been so enthralled by politics in my life. I could have sat there for hours, weighing the arguments of each side. Lou Dobbs is brilliant, in my opinion, and the show was amazing. He's doing this all week, and I am definitely going to tune in. I wish I could be there every night!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Cat ON the Hat, Lou Dobbs, Hanna, and A Political Rant
Only in New York. My friend and I were taking in a pre-church tea at Starbs this morning, and I casually looked out of the window at one point. Well, walking by was a guy with a cat riding on top of his baseball cap. I'm being serious. It was a black and white cat, wearing a collar with a little bell on it. And it looked perfectly content sitting on this guy's head while he was walking the streets of Midtown. I just stared for a little bit, not sure if I was seeing correctly, but I was. This guy was walking with a woman, who seemed completely unperterbed that she was with a man with odd penchants for feline positioning. Hmm. Maybe she has a dog that she carries wedged firmly up her nose.
Another interesting thing, I am going to be in the audience at the Lou Dobbs show on CNN on Monday night. He is talking about the candidates and their platforms, and me and my friends got asked to be there. So, maybe we'll be on TV! Obama and McCain are coming to Columbia on Thursday for a Presidential forum, and we all entered a lottery to get tickets for it, so if I get to go to that, this will probably turn out to be the most political week of my life.
Tropical Storm Hanna thought she'd get the best of us yesterday, but we prevailed. Even to the point of going for a lovely run in the rain and wind. It was great!! It is, to date, the first time I've been in a rainstorm with a name.
I've really been into this current election cycle. Either way, it will be an historic event: our first black pres, or our first female veep. In watching the conventions, one word stuck out to me, almost to the point of hilarity: change. I agree that a lot of things need to change, but sometimes politics makes me chuckle. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know a whole lot about it, but sometimes it feels like little more than pandering to whichever base one is currently trying to win over. No one is happy with Bush right now, it seems, so perhaps that is the reason for they were all playing the 'change card'. (Which brings me to another gripe: I am thoroughly over any statement with 'card' in it, ie. the race card, the age card, the female card, etc. etc. Let's come up with a new cliche, shall we?) So, I think that maybe all four speeches can be summed up with these few words: "I'm gonna bring the change. The other guys suck and they won't. Changity change change change." Okay, I sound a little mean, and slightly jaded, perhaps. I mean no disrespect to either candidate, and I sincerely hope that whomever gets elected makes good on his promises. I am not holding my breath though. I don't know which way I am going to vote, because there are aspects of each candidate that I agree with and respect, and each that I don't. Either way, this will be a very interesting couple of months!
Another interesting thing, I am going to be in the audience at the Lou Dobbs show on CNN on Monday night. He is talking about the candidates and their platforms, and me and my friends got asked to be there. So, maybe we'll be on TV! Obama and McCain are coming to Columbia on Thursday for a Presidential forum, and we all entered a lottery to get tickets for it, so if I get to go to that, this will probably turn out to be the most political week of my life.
Tropical Storm Hanna thought she'd get the best of us yesterday, but we prevailed. Even to the point of going for a lovely run in the rain and wind. It was great!! It is, to date, the first time I've been in a rainstorm with a name.
I've really been into this current election cycle. Either way, it will be an historic event: our first black pres, or our first female veep. In watching the conventions, one word stuck out to me, almost to the point of hilarity: change. I agree that a lot of things need to change, but sometimes politics makes me chuckle. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know a whole lot about it, but sometimes it feels like little more than pandering to whichever base one is currently trying to win over. No one is happy with Bush right now, it seems, so perhaps that is the reason for they were all playing the 'change card'. (Which brings me to another gripe: I am thoroughly over any statement with 'card' in it, ie. the race card, the age card, the female card, etc. etc. Let's come up with a new cliche, shall we?) So, I think that maybe all four speeches can be summed up with these few words: "I'm gonna bring the change. The other guys suck and they won't. Changity change change change." Okay, I sound a little mean, and slightly jaded, perhaps. I mean no disrespect to either candidate, and I sincerely hope that whomever gets elected makes good on his promises. I am not holding my breath though. I don't know which way I am going to vote, because there are aspects of each candidate that I agree with and respect, and each that I don't. Either way, this will be a very interesting couple of months!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Mi Primer Dia En Clinico
It was a sweaty walk the twelve blocks to my clinical sight this morning, but the anticipation gave my feet wings, and I got there an hour early. Today was the first day of community clinical, and it was absolutely wonderful. Better than I dreamed it could be. Since this is the type of setting I would like to end up in when I get my degree, I was really excited to see what it would be like; well, equal parts excited and nervous. As is my tendency when I get nervous, I started singing show tunes in my head. Today's selection was "What will today be like?" from the Sound of Music. You know, when Julie Andrews has her first day as governess? Love that song. Anyway, the clinic is located in my neighborhood, which is probably 95% Dominican American. All of our patients today spoke Spanish, and a large percentage spoke Spanish primarily. My preceptor was so great; we hit it off right away, and she really showed me a lot. Next week, I get to start doing shots all by myself! I can't wait. One elderly woman came in complaining of pain in her hands and legs; she spoke only Spanish, so my preceptor spoke to her, and I just listened, desperate to learn this beautiful language. That's one of my goals for this semester: learn enough Spanish to be conversant, and by the time I graduate, to be fluent. Lofty, I know, but I want to do it. Well, I caught a few words here and there, but then my preceptor had to leave for a sec to grab something, and I was left there with this crying lady, whom I so earnestly wanted to comfort. I patted her on the back, and then, haltingly, said, "Yo parle un poquito Espanol. Lo siento." ( I have no idea if that sentence structure is correct!) She understood me, though, and nodded, "Si!" and then I pointed to her hands and said, "Los manos, mal?" "Si!"she said. Pointing to her left hand, "Un poquito" and to her right "Mas mal". So I got the drift that one hand hurt more than the other. Well, the day was filled with encounters like this, which I loved! The other nurses who work there are fab; two of them took me and my fellow nursing student to a great little Dominican restaurant a block away and we got really yummy food for very cheap. On the way back, they pointed out to us two very imaginative manequins; they were probably equivalent to 5'6" with a size double-D chest. And a large behind. And an unproportionately small waist. Nice. Gag.
So, I am loving my placement, and learning Spanish. Today's words ( don't know if spelled right):
Los ohos - eyes
Los orihos - ears
Los manos- hands
La brassa- arm
Los nares-nose
La boca- mouth
enfermera- nurse
medico(a)- doctor of medicine
doctore- doctor with any doctorate degree
Las piernas- legs
Dolor de garganta- sore throat
Donde le duele?-where does it hurt?
And my favorite, 'mi corazon'- my heart, which my preceptor called me. So sweet. I'm bummed I'm only there for five weeks, but I go to OB next, so I'll get my babies again...it's been too long!
It was a great day, Praise God, and I am anxious to learn even more.
So, I am loving my placement, and learning Spanish. Today's words ( don't know if spelled right):
Los ohos - eyes
Los orihos - ears
Los manos- hands
La brassa- arm
Los nares-nose
La boca- mouth
enfermera- nurse
medico(a)- doctor of medicine
doctore- doctor with any doctorate degree
Las piernas- legs
Dolor de garganta- sore throat
Donde le duele?-where does it hurt?
And my favorite, 'mi corazon'- my heart, which my preceptor called me. So sweet. I'm bummed I'm only there for five weeks, but I go to OB next, so I'll get my babies again...it's been too long!
It was a great day, Praise God, and I am anxious to learn even more.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Tomfoolery
So, I just had the best weekend ever in DC! Sooo much fun, and got to hang out with some great people. Now that August is done, and I have to get back to the grind tomorrow, I thought I'd chronicle some recently ridiculous things that have happened to me.
I took a bus from our Chinatown to DC's Chinatown on Friday, and discovered, when I needed to use the bathroom, that it did not come equipped with toilet paper. Or a cleaning service. Or any kind of hand washing/hand sanitizing device. Luckily, I had Kleenex in my purse because I was fighting a doozy of a cold all week, so I made due. So, thinking that I might find the same sitch on the bus on the way back today, I made sure to be stocked with Kleenex, and really to try to avoid using the bathroom at all if I could possibly help it. We were about two bumpy, jostly hours outside of NYC when I realized that I could not possibly help it. I had seen plenty of people come and go to the bathroom ( I should stop calling it that; that descriptor is too generous. Let's call it the very-smelly-plastic-hole-in-a-bench closet.)so I figured I would be safe; what could be worse than last time? Oh-ho, was I about to find out! With my Kleenex in hand, I made my way back, quickly noticing two things. First off, you could smell it before you even got close. Second, everyone was looking at me slightly askance as I went in, but I didn't really think of it. As I closed the door and turned around, I saw a black garbage bag on the front portion of the seat. Realizing that this is not a normal fixture of most toilet facilities that I am familiar with, I stood there for a sec, deciding what to do. Upon closer inspection, it revealed that it was covered with small ponds of liquid. Yes, ponds. Since the bag was black, I couldn't tell if the liquid was human-originated or not, from someone with poor aim, or simply a garbage bag that gave off condensation. Since I'd never seen one of those, I'm gonna go with option number 1. I gingerly tried to move it out of the way, and discovered the reason that it was there...
A big, and I mean BIG, puddle of vomit or diarrhea lurked underneath, awaiting unsuspecting users. Suddenly the liquid-drenched bad didn't look so bad. I was in shock, and still two hours from NYC. Weighing the options of either dealing with a burst bladder or possible E.coli or shigella infection from said disgusting garbage bag, I decided to go the very gross route and use the toilet. It was the lesser of two evils, but only very slightly lesser. Well, let's just say that I've never felt so completely disgusting in my entire life. I was like, 'Go to your happy place, Stef. Go there. It's better than a burst bladder or wet pants. It could be worse. It could be on the entire seat instead of just half of it. It could be smeared on the walls too...oh wait. It is.' To really top things off, the toilet wouldn't flush. I burst out of there with a look of revulsion on my face, thankful that I was still alive. Two girls sitting nearby burst out laughing and said, "Yup. That look says it all." I vowed to myself that I would take a shower with a steel brush and lye when I got home. This was so completely gross that I don't want to think about it anymore.Needless to say, I won't be using this bus company again.
While trying to distract myself from this harrowing experience, I looked up and painted on the front wall of the bus read a sign, "We are not response for any belonging." Really? Apparently not response for any cleaning either. Then I looked out of the window and we just happened to be going by a huge billboard with the picture of a baby's scrunched up face next to the text, "You're not the only one concerned with gas. Find out more at bonbebe.com."
God likes to cheer me up with humorous situations, I think.
Leaving a friend's apartment tonight, one of my favorite strappy sandals finally broke. It was impossible to walk in, so after my friends so lovingly fireman-carried me a block, they suggested I stop in to a local Chinese restaurant to get a plastic bag to put over my foot, so I could walk home. We were only a few blocks from home, but at the rate we were going with my silly sandal, it would take until tomorrow to get there. So, I got a bag and it said on it, with a big yellow smiley face, "Thank You! Have a nice day!" Allie decided that I was going to start a bag-on-foot-as-shoe trend, and she was going to design a stiletto version.
While this was happening, there was a probably 35ish yr. old guy with a friend or two standing around, chewing the cud, and they saw us. The 35yr old said to us, "Hey! White girls! Look, there be white girls! Ladies, I'm the only white guy in this neighborhood who's still single. Hey!" We kept walking, ignoring him, while he continued to shout after us. He finished up with, "You don't know what you're missing! I'm the only still-single guy!" You know, I don't think that I really want to find out what I'm missing. I'll just keep missing it. After a day of a hot, smelly bus full of human expulsion of some sort, a bagged foot, and the heckling of 'the only single white guy in your neighborhood', I decided to call it a night.
I took a bus from our Chinatown to DC's Chinatown on Friday, and discovered, when I needed to use the bathroom, that it did not come equipped with toilet paper. Or a cleaning service. Or any kind of hand washing/hand sanitizing device. Luckily, I had Kleenex in my purse because I was fighting a doozy of a cold all week, so I made due. So, thinking that I might find the same sitch on the bus on the way back today, I made sure to be stocked with Kleenex, and really to try to avoid using the bathroom at all if I could possibly help it. We were about two bumpy, jostly hours outside of NYC when I realized that I could not possibly help it. I had seen plenty of people come and go to the bathroom ( I should stop calling it that; that descriptor is too generous. Let's call it the very-smelly-plastic-hole-i
A big, and I mean BIG, puddle of vomit or diarrhea lurked underneath, awaiting unsuspecting users. Suddenly the liquid-drenched bad didn't look so bad. I was in shock, and still two hours from NYC. Weighing the options of either dealing with a burst bladder or possible E.coli or shigella infection from said disgusting garbage bag, I decided to go the very gross route and use the toilet. It was the lesser of two evils, but only very slightly lesser. Well, let's just say that I've never felt so completely disgusting in my entire life. I was like, 'Go to your happy place, Stef. Go there. It's better than a burst bladder or wet pants. It could be worse. It could be on the entire seat instead of just half of it. It could be smeared on the walls too...oh wait. It is.' To really top things off, the toilet wouldn't flush. I burst out of there with a look of revulsion on my face, thankful that I was still alive. Two girls sitting nearby burst out laughing and said, "Yup. That look says it all." I vowed to myself that I would take a shower with a steel brush and lye when I got home. This was so completely gross that I don't want to think about it anymore.Needless to say, I won't be using this bus company again.
While trying to distract myself from this harrowing experience, I looked up and painted on the front wall of the bus read a sign, "We are not response for any belonging." Really? Apparently not response for any cleaning either. Then I looked out of the window and we just happened to be going by a huge billboard with the picture of a baby's scrunched up face next to the text, "You're not the only one concerned with gas. Find out more at bonbebe.com."
God likes to cheer me up with humorous situations, I think.
Leaving a friend's apartment tonight, one of my favorite strappy sandals finally broke. It was impossible to walk in, so after my friends so lovingly fireman-carried me a block, they suggested I stop in to a local Chinese restaurant to get a plastic bag to put over my foot, so I could walk home. We were only a few blocks from home, but at the rate we were going with my silly sandal, it would take until tomorrow to get there. So, I got a bag and it said on it, with a big yellow smiley face, "Thank You! Have a nice day!" Allie decided that I was going to start a bag-on-foot-as-shoe trend, and she was going to design a stiletto version.
While this was happening, there was a probably 35ish yr. old guy with a friend or two standing around, chewing the cud, and they saw us. The 35yr old said to us, "Hey! White girls! Look, there be white girls! Ladies, I'm the only white guy in this neighborhood who's still single. Hey!" We kept walking, ignoring him, while he continued to shout after us. He finished up with, "You don't know what you're missing! I'm the only still-single guy!" You know, I don't think that I really want to find out what I'm missing. I'll just keep missing it. After a day of a hot, smelly bus full of human expulsion of some sort, a bagged foot, and the heckling of 'the only single white guy in your neighborhood', I decided to call it a night.
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