"A" Post About Anticipation

A day in December 20th, 2010.
As in 12-20-10.
All even numbers.
And, there's a total lunar eclipse tonight.
About half of the world can view it.
All of a sudden "when the planets align" takes a new meaning.
At any moment you can join me in being creeped out.

Also only 5 work days
Away from Christmas.
Anticipation is building with wonder of what gifts lay idle beneath the tree.
Amazement, however, awaits after unwrapping gift boxes,
At what actually is contained by those bundled gifts.
Any way you wrap it, the holiday of giving is under way.
Almost.

Another thing i am anticipating is my Vacation.
Average life will take a break from 12-29-10 -- 1-5-11.
Avoiding the Mormons, Utah awaits our arrival.
Aimed at a lot of fun, me and 3 of my closest friends will be
Abducted by skiing and a new environment.

Altogether, this adds up to some excitement over the next 2 weeks.
Alright!
Attached are some pictures of what i will be doing in the next 9 days.

Transcendentalism

I have been reading "Where I Lived and What i Lived For" by Henry David Thoreau.
While reading Thoreau, all i want to do is move into the woods,
Chop down some trees and build my own house,
Not buying the land or getting permits or filing any papers.
Why?
Simplicity.
And Escape.
Christmas is fast approaching,
And with it comes the fashionable fads,
New programs, diets, desires, and beliefs,
Expectations, inventions, gifts, and clutter.
And distractions.
As a Christian, it is necessary to identify the intentions of Christmas.
But, it is just as necessary to notice the reality of it.
And here is where i like what Thoreau, and others of the Transcendental movement say about
Truth, reality, and our place among the two.
In an essay, Ralph Waldo Emerson writes:

"So shall we come to look at the world with new eyes. It shall answer the endless inquiry of the intellect, — What is truth? and of the affections, — What is good? by yielding itself passive to the educated Will. ... Build, therefore, your own world. As fast as you conform your life to the pure idea in your mind, that will unfold its great proportions. A correspondent revolution in things will attend the influx of the spirit."

The desert of life proves an eternal thirst for its inhabitants.
And so we drink the next remedy for our dry pallet.
Whether poison or pleasing, our tongue turns to sand.
Emerson (and others) thus suggest that we look at truths and reality as an overarching theme
And stand firm in our convictions. A sort of pseudo post-modernism.
But instead of finding truth in experience,
One finds it in thought.
However, i recognize the dangers:
How can there be truth in what we think?
How can one reality "transcend" all personal thought?
How can idealism be attached firmly in the natural realm?
But i am struck by this question:
Do these dangers outweigh the imminent threat poised by an acceptance of the newest experience, trend, or affection?
As Americans, we are told to buy, spend, consume, or else fall behind.
But, the simplicity of a consistent culture is a new temptation.
The simplicity of things being and not changing.
And so, when i read about Thoreau and his wooded escape in Massachusetts, i envy his experience
Because he is free from the bondage of culture.
He has escaped the slavery of consumerism, materialism, and the next "best thing."
The burden of "brand new" removed,
His escape to nature proved to produce
not only great literature, but great thinking as well.

A Change of Pace

As many of you know,
I recently lost my part time job (Rest in Peace).
No, i was not fired.
The restaurant closed. (Rest in Peace)
Thus, i am welcomed to the realm of "unemployment."
But not really unemployment
Because i still work at the church.
However, i have significantly more time.
So, here's how i spent my time this last week:

Monday: I counted a freezer bag full of change, totaling close to $60, mostly in pennies and nickels.
(Yes, this day did inspire the title and subject of this blog)
Tuesday: I watched not one, but two movies. And a TV Show.
One: Terms of Endearment, was kind of awful, but also kind of intriguing.
Two: When in Rome, was cute. No other word describes it.
Wednesday: I stayed busy because of church and my lack of responsibility the previous two days.
I didn't write my lesson the previous days because of my insane schedule.
So, i rushed through it before church.
Thursday: Honestly, i don't remember this day. That's probably sad.
At some point during this week i reworked my Resume, maybe that's what i did?
Friday: The weekend started. So, i did nothing.

And so, as you can see, the pace of my life has significantly changed.
But, the reality is that it will continually change.
Oftentimes, we count the quarters,
but dollars and sense (intentional) are found in the nickels and dimes.
The future exponentially accrues interest.
Life is only lived once,
And change takes residence in mason jars,
Overflowing it's environment.
So, I will continue to count the change.
Sorting, summing, and rolling,
Because my future looks different than scattered coins,
but is not seamless like a dollar bill.