Senior 36: New Year's Reflection

At first I was thinking about titling this blog based on some variation of "Miscellaneous." Whenever I do that, it means that a great deal of time has passed since I last updated. My regular output (quite steady for a few months) was abruptly halted when I tried to develop a reflection that tied together Christmas and a critique of post-modernism. I had an initial idea, but as I began to write, it just ballooned out of control, touching on more and more new and different lines of thought and defying all attempts to solidify it into a coherent whole. So I finally gave up on that idea (for the time being), having already delayed much to long.

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First off: I am finally finished with all eleven of my graduate school applications. Does that seem a little excessive to anyone besides me? Thankfully I'm getting a bit of financial help from the school, what with application fees and score submission fees and transcript fees and postage.

I received some very nice gifts over the course of the holiday (Pictured: a chest of Bentley's Tea, a case of Twinings tea (brought from England), an assortment of twenty loose-leaf teas from the Chado company, a tea infuser, and the 1948 edition of the Reader's Encyclopedia (ed. William R. Benét), opened to entries on SS. Thomas à Kempis and Thomas Aquinas (pp.978-989).

I had dinner with David and Callista at a nice Italian restaurant in Azusa, saw the Glory of Christmas at the Crystal Cathedral with my parents, got a new used car (thanks to Andy and Sarah--1993 Ford Escort), celebrated Christmas with over thirty Kenyans (complete with whole goat for dinner), visited Lake Arrowhead with Melissa, and spent New Years Eve on Colorado Blvd. for the Rose Parade. I am looking forward to a belated New Years celebration with some other relatives AND to Nick (former roommate) and Amanda visiting from Chicago.

All this, pretty much, to say that I am incredibly blessed (which leads into the first of two reflections...)

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Spending New Year's Eve on Colorado Blvd. is an experience, to say the least. (You should try it some time. Really.) At a few points over the course of the night my friends and I put the question to one another: "Why do we do this?" And when you think about it--Why do we do this??? Why do we leave the comfort of our homes to sit in the gutter in the freezing cold, surrounded by loud, obnoxious, often-inconsiderate people (our small camp was egged at about 1:00 AM); to get little sleep and no quality rest; to watch a parade from relatively poor seating (the television coverage is infinitely superior) and fight traffic to get back home when it's all done? Why??? Of course, we just laughed at ourselves--and we did have a good time together.

But at one point, someone commented on how thankful she was for her bed at home and that she didn't have to spend every night on the streets. And I thought to myself: "That's as good a reason as any (and a sight better than most) for spending New Year's Eve in the gutters of Colorado Blvd." To start the year in a spirit and attitude of heartfelt thankfulness and gratitude for all the good things we have--I can't imagine a better way to celebrate. Really, gratitude puts one in the best possible mindset for approaching any situation in life. And it's all-too-easy to fall out of that way of thinking, but what a difference it makes. There's a New Year's Resolution for you and for me--to be more grateful.

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Second reflection (on a completely different note, almost. Really closer to 'random musing' than 'reflection.')

Tonight I walked home from work in the rain. It was wonderful. I love the rain.

If I could write poetry well, I would write a poem about how the rainshower is so childish and a comic.

About how every rain drop is a joke,
Or a humorous quip sent from heaven;
Received by the earth for its delight and nourishment and renewal.

I would write about how the rivers and streams swell with laughter,
About how they chuckle and chatter, sharing the joke with everyone downstream.

And about how, like all good jokes and laughter,
They leave the recipient clean and refreshed.

I love the rain and I love laughter. I laugh whenever it rains; it makes me happy.

I have been reading a bit of George MacDonald lately. I didn't really understand Phantastes or "The Golden Key." "The History of Photogen and Nycteris" was pretty good, as was "The Shadows." But "The Gifts of the Christ Child" is excellent as is the book, At the Back of the North Wind, that I am reading now. It makes me so happy and I want to laugh aloud from pure joy when I read it. Following the story of Diamond (the protagonist) and sharing in his childishness--the good kind of childishness that one should never outgrow--is such an absolute delight. Truly, MacDonald captures something of joy that is to be found in few other places.

(This is a very random aside and very clumsy compositionally, but I'll insert it anyway; some people like film references and this thought came to me: I think one good example of pure laughter comes at the end of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" after Frodo is rescued from Mt. Doom and wakes in a room in the Houses of Healing. He is startled to find himself awake, safe, and whole; looking up, he sees Gandalf standing at the foot of the bed. Their eyes meet and Gandalf begins to laugh. Frodo laughs too. That is a small glimpse of the spirit of purest laughter.)

This second reflection is much stranger than the first, I think. Maybe it connects in some strange way; at least I think there is some connection between joy, laughter, and gratitude.

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I hope, for everyone, that this new year is filled with God's richest blessings and most wholesome laughter. Happy New Year!

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God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.