One Inch Tall
By: Shel Silverstein

If you were only one inch tall, you’d ride a worm to school.
The teardrop of a crying ant would be your swimming pool.
A crumb of cake would be a feast
And last you seven days at least,
A flea would be a frightening beast
If you were one inch tall.

If you were only one inch tall, you’d walk beneath the door,
And it would take about a month to get down to the store.
A bit of fluff would be your bed,
You’d swing upon a spider’s thread,
And wear a thimble on your head
If you were one inch tall.

You’d surf across the kitchen sink upon a stick of gum.
You couldn’t hug your mama, you’d just have to hug her thumb.
You’d run from people’s feet in fright,
To move a pen would take all night,
(This poem took fourteen years to write–
‘Cause I’m just one inch tall).

Mostly, I am doing homework, but last weekend I did get a chance to check out Matrix Reloaded again ( I feel redundant). Seeing it close up and for a second time I was less impressed with the computer animation. It’s getting closer to real life, but it was so clear to me when they switched over, especially during the courtyard fight scene which was one of my favorites in the theatre. There is some great choreography and what they have done with computers is phenomenal, but it’s still far from looking life-like. I’d have to say the ultimate scene must be the highway scene, particularly Morpheus in action (how cool is it to wipe out an SUV with a sword!!!). Amy and I will watch the extras on the DVD this Thursday, by which I am likely to be even more impressed. I saw a little of it and can tell there’s some good stuff in there. Just the physical descipline the cast went through gets me fired up for M3. Mmmm. Kung Fu. My legs twitch at the thought.

Hopefully they’ll leave out the orgies and crotch zoom-ins this time.

This is you.

You are sitting at a computer at the comptuer lab typing away, minding your own business, doing your homework. All of a sudden a tallish man with a mauve shirt, whom you’ve never seen before, bends down and asks you, “Were you at the gym tonight?”
From the middle of a live chat session with fellow classmates, and on which your grade depends, you look up and say, “No… but I was there yesterday…”
And he says(all the while messages are piling up and you can feel your grade sliding down to a B+), “Oh, because I am trying to interview people on how to exercise my body so I can look how they look.”
And you say(trying to maintain your train of thought), “Mmhm.”
And he says, “So can I have your email address?”
And you say, “…”
And he says, “So I can have a better body…”
__________________

What do you do? Do you…

a. Scream, “Look! The lab assistant,” sucker punch him, and run.
b. Pat him on the head and say, ” Silly man, I don’t give my email out to wierdos.”
c. Bob and weave
d. Drool and bark
e. Drool, bark, and lift your leg over the computer modem as if it were a fire hydrant.
f. Tell him, ” You already look hot. You don’t need to work out!” Then snicker.
g. Other:_______________________________

Tell me what you’d do and I’ll tell you what I did.

I have just come off from reading and reflecting on three of my friends blogs(Josh, Stephanie, and Neal). This is such a neat little world. It sparks conversations and thoughts that I’d never be a part of if not connected bloggedly (I would never have created a new word, as I just have just done, if blogs didn’t exsist). For example, in a blog I can tell anyone who reads it that they should read Hemingway’s “Big, Two-Hearted River”: Part I and Part II(this is the text that I am referring to in my first blog). They may read it, or may have already read it, and comment on it or comment on the comments. What a neat little intricate web of love!

I have been thinking of ways I could use blogging when I teach. I was thinking it would be cool to create a blog and post thoughtful entries related to what we were studying(or not) and they could make comments on what I wrote. I have a feeling it might be hard to get them motivated to be involved, considering I probably wouldn’t make it mandatory, but I could give them the blog address and tell them I post my “secret thoughts” there. That might scare them, though. Anyway, got any more ideas?

(7:34)

For one of my education courses I will have to teach a small group of kids about migration. Anything about migration. We get to choose. Well, at first I was thinking of whale migration. Several years ago when I was on Maui I saw a herd of humpback whales apparently going North. I thought it’d be neat to learn more and teach it. Then I came across this site on monarch migration. I was immediately attracted to it because it reminded me of my late aunt Patty, who died September 9th, 2003. Now, at first you may think, “That’s a comforting way to view her death. She’s getting her wings.” But that’s not it, Patty had flight before she died.

Continue reading Metamorphosis of Patricia E. Barnett →

Trinity Baptist Church had their talent show last night, Sunday October 12, 2003. It started at 6:00 pm and finished at 8:30 pm with a pie reception (pumpkin and pecan) in the gymnasium following the show. The night’s MC were Cindy Johnson and Ross Rud. Here are a few of the highlights:

* Jonathan Peterson read from a published book, Christmas Readings to Recapture the Wonder of the Season, a story that he wrote, “Away in a Manger” during his undergrad years. One of his teachers read it and loved it. It was published with some older works and newer ones. I guess Jon’s was in between two heavyweights, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and G.K. Chesterton. It is a wonderful anecdote of a small town’s Christmas spirit and familiar idiosyncrasies.

~ The men’s quartet and women’s trio teamed up to sing a joyful old spiritual, “First Day in Heaven”, that rocked da house. Pastor Ken Lewis impressed the audience by singing solo (we nearly couldn’t hear him), belching down to a low B flat (or darn near it).

* Two beautiful women, one at keyboard and one at the guitar, sang “Down By t he Singing Waterfall”. The one at keyboard was our very own Jane Weigel. The one at the guitar was none other than “the one, the only” Janell Lewis, who graced us with an invigorating yodel.

~ There were a few spontaneous melodramas. One of which had Nancy Struck slap Ross Rud then get slung over his shoulder, her 3-foot long hair dangling near the back of Ross’ knees. A sight to see!

* There was, of course, the “bad joke” section with audience participation. They were indeed “bad” and nearly all not worth repeating, yet this one stuck out to me:

Q: What is the difference between roast beef and pea soup?

A: Anyone can roast beef. (Compliments of Ross Rud)

~ Pastor Ken Lewis dusted off the big trombone (and the rat-a-tat drums. Sorry, I’m still feeling the effects of the bad jokes. There were no drums.) and warbled the great hymn, “The Blood Will Never Lose It’s Power”. Singing the second verse PK’s heart melting vibrato accompanied with the emotive style of Jane Weigel’s piano playing left the audience collectively feeling “at home“.

* Bob Struck read some works by Ian Frazier that he heard on The Prairie Home Companion a few years ago. Bob’s perfect tone and timing jostled Trinity’s sanctuary with laughter and left her reeling with understanding sighs. I was video taping and to say the least I had a dificult time holding the camera still.

It was such a wonderful way to start the week. It renewed my sense of family at Trinity.

Right now the South side of my house is swarming with them. They are harmless, but every time I open my door (which faces the South) about twenty fly off and try to land on me. I’m not really one for letting things crawl over my body. The nice things is that there are few inside my apartment. Although, I came home to a dried up pile of vomitted box elders that Pumpkin (my cat) must have tried to ingest. Apparently they are pretty bitter (OK, mom, maybe I do need to feed her more).

Last night when I got home I jumped into the shower and proceeded to find that in the last two day(I’m busy) three box elders and and about twenty lady buggish things made their home my bath tub. Needless to say, I had fun sending them slip-sliding down with my dirty water.

On that note, maybe God made bugs like the mosquito and the box elder to show us how fragile life is and how easily it can be swatted away. That doesn’t scare me, but makes me think of this verse:
Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. – Proverbs 19:15.

And this parable:
“A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
” ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down’. -Luke 13:6-9.

I sometimes feel like I am not bearing much fruit; I don’t see it. I want to use my time wisely and keep God my focus consistently. I want to be content with what He’s given me. I want Him to be my life. But I keep getting sidetracked. I’m so easily distracted! I am so helpless! We all are though.

O Thank God for his grace…and the box elder bug.

These were the thoughts that marinated in my head under the insect-free shower.

It is a beautiful beautiful day! I just came in from laying outside for about three hours on a grassy hillside facing the South. It is warm and there is a breeze. I took off my shirt, put it under me and slept for around an hour. Got up to go to the bathroom, returned and read…
The bugs weren’t too bad either. I noticed a few tiny spider-looking things on my bright book leaves. The breeze was just enough to keep me from sweating, except for a little under the parts that were against the ground.
I actually got a little pink from the sun. I feel healthy, more mentally then physically. I feel good right now. God knows what I need. I am a little hungry.