Fights With the Fax Machine

[from 6.8.11]
More like the copy machine in this case. And no, this will not be a scene straight out of "Office Space" (but, if you don't know what I referenced, please look it up!), however it does involve temper tantrums. I went with my mom to her school in an attempt to subside my boredom and to help her with whatever she needed. Within 15 minutes of our arrival to the teacher workroom there were at least five different teachers who mentioned the broken copy machine on the third floor. "Such an inconvenience!" on cried. "What is this, the third time this week? And it's only Wednesday!" another said as she stomped her foot. It was in fact Wednesday which meant this same teacher needed to make copies of the study guide that would surely compel her students to study and then pass the exam next week with flying colors (too bold of a statement?). Anyway, her predicament: not make the study guide and endure the ridiculing of students claiming tho be unprepared or tackle the task of copying the test. She thought long and hard; it would have to be the latter, to her dismay. Off to the third floor copier of doom she went. How interesting that man, after having made many seemingly complex breakthroughs in technology (robotic "humans", smartphones, smart cars, etc.) still can't manage to make a copier that doesn't gobble your paper. Why can we send man to the moon, retire the space shuttle that carried him there and back safely over a dozen times, and yet not create a simple copier that won't confuse its user?

I carry you

There were a few lines from John's Gospel two Sundays ago that stuck out. When I heard them, my mind leapt back to junior year of high school, creative writing class. We were told to choose a poem no shorter than six lines, memorize it, and recite it to the teacher a week later. Quite frankly, I can't remember the poem I chose, but I do remember a particular poem to be popular among the class: i carry your heart with me by e.e. cummings. Getting back to the gospel, Jn 14:17, 20 "because he remains with you and will be within you,"..."I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." Hearing those words, I thought of these words:

"i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a man has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)"

What a great sense of security, safety, and warmth in the Lord! I think e.e. cummings had it right-God carries us in His heart always.

Snap!

I went to a different coffee joint a few days ago to unwind. After attempting to gracefully sip my raspberry mocha that was covered with a mountain of whipped cream, I noticed a man about my age as he was exiting the establishment. I first noticed how much I had to raise my eyes just to see his head; he was tall. Dirty blonde hair, skinny, messenger bag slung over his shoulder. As he went to open the door he tried to slyly drop his trash in the can, only to fail miserably and completely miss the hole. It clanged on the floor and I thought he was going to ignore it. To my surprise, though, Mr. Smooth turned and noticed his mishap. It was then that I saw his face. He looked familiar. I racked my brain. Where was this kid from? When had I seen him? UD? No, no one else from this area goes to UD. Where? Then, a few minutes later, after having abandoned the book I had so excitedly gone there to read, I figured it out. With the snap of a finger my brain had solved the puzzle. How does it do it? Keep all that information stored and when you need it, it's able to recall as if you only gained the information yesterday. The brain: "just a bunch of nerve cells," my brother says, but I say, "Amazing!"