Friday, May 7, 2010

First sleep, last sleep

Note to Reader: This was written over a year ago. I'm just now getting around to posting these. Sorry!

It's past one in the morning and I'm sitting in a room I've made some amazing memories in! It's my dorm room in North Towers. I have a massive pile of totes that are filled with my belongings at the foot of my bed. Dana, one of my best friends has only a small pile of things sitting beside her bed. Both of our chests, closets, and desks are rather barren now. My posters are still covering the walls, while Dana's are packed neatly away. Maybe you're wondering why this is significant in any way to a blog about memories. So please, let me put you out of your misery! Tonight's the last night that I'll be staying in North Towers. My last night of being an "on campus" college student. Dana and I are getting an apartment in the fall while we student teach, so our little room with the blotchy walls and sketchy carpet is being passed down to the next lucky pair of roommates to enter it. Concord sure did put a price on it (a pretty penny!) but the memories I have in it are simply priceless!

If I went on to name every memory, I'd never get to sleep in my room again! So I'll simply share one (or maybe two...) with you!

Dana and I are notorious for rearranging our room! It changes at least 3 times a semester! Our favorite way to keep our beds is with one in a loft style and with the other bed underneath it in a "L" shape. When we arrange our beds this way it's always in the same corner of the room. But this time we decided it would be fun to try it in the other corner! So we went to rearranging as always. This may have been the biggest task we'd taken on considering we were moving everything to the opposite sides of the room! The two of us got pretty far all on our own but eventually had to call in the troops (the troops being Jason, JulieBeth, and maybe Brett and Nessa). After 3 hours of moving furniture, making beds, rearranging desks, and a few weird looks from the suite-mates, we were finished! So everyone left besides Dana and I. It wasn't too long before we realized that the new arrangement wasn't going to work. Neither one of us were able to sleep that night and decided first thing in the morning to try it again. So after a few drawings to figure out where we were moving furniture this time, we tried it again. Needless to say we were on our own this time. The troops were disgusted with their fickle commanders! But Dana and I could sleep at night and that was all that mattered!

And then there is ofcourse the night that the lights went out at Concord! The only thing the cafeteria offered at times like this were cold, old sandwiches. Not exactly our idea of "good cuisine". So the gang went off to the mall for dinner at Macados. After we stuffed ourselves, we thought we should walk it off by shopping in the mall. Hence, Annie came to live with us. You're probably wondering who Annie is. She's the hamster I found in the pet store and couldn't possibly live without (within a week I was sick of being a hamster mommy who was awakened at all hours of the night by my nocturnal child).

Annie (before she made me lose sleep and hate her)!

Driving into Athens was beyond creepy that night. There wasn't a light on anywhere in town. We stopped at Jason's house for some food (like we needed it!) and ended up leaving with a handful of glow sticks and some pickles if I remember right. Seeing as candles are prohibited in the dorms, we found that our glow sticks served as reasonable light, at least for our purposes.

The six bored college students (you have no idea how many tries it took to get this self-portrait of all of us in the dark)!

I think we're all well aware that 6 bored college students who have no intentions of doing homework by glow stick light rarely leads to anything "good". After a few rounds of "Never Have I Ever" (the cherry coke version, people!) someone's glow stick sprung a leak and dripped onto the carpet. And the liquid continued to glow. Ideas were born (we are after all informed and thoughtful decision makers at good old CU). Scissors were found. Glow sticks were cut open and splattered all over the room. Eventually they made their way to the bathroom which happened to be the darkest room in the dorm. The glow stick goo shined brighter in there than in the room or foyer. Hence the birth of peeing in space! I think we laughed for hours (read: months) over this one.
Peeing in space looks something like this (Not really. It's way cooler!).

So as you can see this room has had some great times hosted in it. Leaving it is a bit like leaving a part of myself behind. I'm sad, but I'm looking forward to what new adventures God has in store for my friends and I. The apartment (which we have yet to find) will be different for sure, but we can make memories there just like we've made in this cozy little dorm room. So over and out North Towers room 208A. You'll be missed and thanks for the memories!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Hey, how are you?


I was walking to the library today and someone I know walked by and said, "Hey, how are you?". We all know the typical response to this is something along the lines of "I'm fine! How are you?" And that's what I said. But not before the thousand little thoughts that run through your head in a split second came along. Stressed, worried, annoyed, tired...all of those were tempted to fly from my tounge. After all, that's how I'm feeling at the moment. It's finals time and this is my last semester of classes before I'll student teach in the fall. But I said "I'm good!".

How many times in the past week, month, year have you and I said this? Why in the world do we lie to people who ask us how we are? Sure, it is a bit of a rhetorical question. Our acquaintance passing us on the sidewalk or in Walmart doesn't really have any desire for us to pour out our life burdens on them when they're late for class or just buying a loaf of bread! We all know the person who when you ask them the question, start out with something like, "Well, not so good! First, this morning...then...". You know the one! It's not someone you know well, it's just that random person you see once in awhile. So now when you see them, you immediately say to yourself, "Just say hello. Keep walking." It makes us uncomfortable when virtual strangers share their life with us, right?

But I've been chasing rabbits here. Back to the original point, why do we lie and say we're fine? After I said I was good this morning, I thought to myself, "Me, good right now? Yeah right! What a lie!" But then I heard that still, small voice:
"You're not good? You're saved, aren't you? You're forgiven! You have a best friend that never leaves you! You're loved beyond your wildest dreams! You have a mom, dad, and sister who love you! A church family who loves you and you love! Friends who are always there for you! Food in abundance, every bit of clothes you need and then some!"

Guess I needed a reality check, huh? I worry about all of these things that seem to make my life so bad, but when I stand still for just a second and reflect on what I really have, it looks to me like life is good! I'm saved, so when I say "I'm fine" there are never truer words!

When I'm stressed over passing math, God's still on His throne!
When I'm worried about my future, Jesus already knows the amazing plans He has for me!
When I'm wondering if Mr. Right will ever come along, I'm already loved more than I know!
When I'm exhausted from studying all night, Jesus promises to be my strength!

If this post doesn't seem to go along with the memories theme of this blog to you, think of it as a new memory I've made! A lesson learned that I'll always remember! So the next person that comes along and says "Hey, how are you?" I can say with and honest heart, "I'm just fine!"

So how are you today?