Copacabana

Mine eyes are filled with glory

I had this moment yesterday that made me cry -- no, it made me weep. Full force weeping; unashamedly bawling my eyes out, trying to catch my breath, wiping my runny nose with my hand kind of deluge. And all because a professor of mine told me in an email that I was good natured and he was glad I was in his class.

Let me explain:

I have spent the last several years battling a misperception. It is an unfortunate reality that once the waters are muddied -- in this case by someone so embittered by life that any happiness just arouses anger -- people are hard pressed to stop, check themselves, and assess the situation from their own vantage point. It's far easier to simply accept what they are told, even, remarkably enough, when they neither trust nor respect the person doing the telling. I know, wacky, right? But people (and some of my own emerging bitterness might show here) are basically apes, right. They learn behavior, and, as much as they mentally have the faculties to actually think for themselves, rarely do because what if the pack dismisses them to the other side of the forest? That would be the worst, right? Never mind that the trees there are sweeter, higher and bear better fruit (how's that for a metaphor?!)

Anyway, I have suffered through this battle, occasionally winning little skirmishes here or there but always questioning the point of the battle. I mean, who wants this damn war anyway?

Fortunately, I have the increasing feeling that it's coming to an end and I'm still walking -- maybe on crutches and with a few more wrinkles in my face, but by God I'm upright and walking in the direction I want to go. So I can see the glimmer of the sun on the horizon and I'm limping in that direction. And that's good.

I just had no idea how it had all gotten to me until the following happened:

I have a professor with a good sense of humor so I shared a site with him that makes me laugh and was, actually, pretty relevant to our class subject matter. He emailed me to thank me and I told him that, as I had only gotten a B on my midterm exam, I was going to bust my ass to pull an A from the rest of the graded assignments. No problem there really. Fairly typical teacher/student interaction.

And then he did the most remarkable thing. He sent me a long email telling me that, in short, he liked me. That I was a good kid with a good attitude and who showed promise and was intelligent and was an asset to both his class and the program. Now, some may be cynical and say this is merely what good professors do and not to read too much into it. Indeed, they are supposed to motivate their students and I've no doubt this is exactly what he was trying to do. But he didn't have to. I'm around people everyday who have a responsibility, by virtue of their positions, to motivate people. But they don't. What's more, they quite often do exactly the opposite. So, even if it was just him fulfilling his job description, it was fantastic because, as I'm becoming increasingly aware, he didn't have to. And he did anyway. And, out of pure joy and a sense that someone had just entered the room and said, "It was all a mistake. We know you mean well," I wept like a four-year old. And then I stood up, washed my face and limped out the door for work.

So shines a good deed in a weary world. Thanks Hal.

And Happy Friday to all you battle-scarred veterans. Here's something funny from The Onion:

Kim Jong-Il Interprets Sunrise As Act Of War

October 31, 2006 | Issue 42•44

According to North Korean military sources, the sunrise, sighted at 6:17 a.m. by patrolling officers, was not fully confirmed until an hour later, at which time Kim assessed the threat himself, and immediately released a harshly worded warning to the U.S. and the United Nations Security Council.

"The Democratic People's Republic Of Korea condemns, in the strongest possible terms, this act of aggression on our eastern border," read a statement printed in the state-run Korean Central News Agency. "If another act of this nature occurs at any time in the next 24 hours, we will be left with no choice but to retaliate with the full might and power of our armed forces."

In addition to denouncing the "imperialist invasive assault," Kim also supplied the U.N. with an extensive list of "unacceptable" international actions. According to Kim's list, North Korea will no longer tolerate the encroachment of Japanese waters onto its western shore, will view the accumulation of cumulus clouds in restricted airspace as acts of intimidation, and will not hesitate to respond militarily to any "violent and unprovoked bursts of wind."

Kim outlined further "extreme transgressions" that would be worthy of more immediate and serious military retaliation.

"Economic sanctions on North Korean imports and exports, the reintroduction of cuff links as a fashion accessory, a sudden drop in lower-middle-class spending habits, sporadic changes in the migratory patterns of monarch butterflies, the announcement of yet another new sports drink, a daily rise in the Dow Jones Industrial Average higher than 3.5 points, shorter hemlines, inspections of North Korean cargo in an attempt to intercept weapons or weapons parts, or the release of a new U2 album—any of these actions will be interpreted as an act of war, and force us to take drastic measures to protect our sovereignty," said Kim in a written statement, which also warned that the world's third-largest standing army is prepared to deliver a "merciless blow at a moment's notice" if the leaves begin to turn colors and fall from the trees of North Korea. "Though we desire peace, we have seen the signs of war on the horizon, and we are not afraid to act."

Despite claims from China that Kim's statements are "nothing more than hollow threats," the U.S. remains worried that the communist republic may test a second nuclear weapon in response to Sony's new line of 62-inch flat-screen television sets.

"The United States wants nothing more than to engage the North Koreans in diplomatic talks, but we will not simply cave in to these bullying tactics," said Secretary Of State Condoleezza Rice, who called the Asian nation's response to Wednesday's events "politically questionable." "That said, we are carefully reviewing their demands, and believe we can find some common ground on concerns over NBC's Thursday-night lineup."

Kim Jong-Il decried Rice's remarks, the side to which her hair was parted, and the fact that she was wearing blue, calling each an "indisputable and highly charged admission of war that North Korea will not be cowed by."

posted by Lola @ 11:14 AM