Maggie’s Swan Song.

I once had a Honda named Maggie. Today I killed her in a car crash. Ah, my beautiful and faithful friend who died many miles (and six months) before her time… I shall miss you.

And now presenting…

Ode to Toronto & Maggie’s Swan Song (in Quotes & Pictures)**

“This tissue leaves a lot to be desired.” (Liz)
“Yeah. That’s cause it’s a paper towel.” (Lisa)
- Short discourse on healthcare

“Why did I dump ___?! At least he could look me in the eye and, like, spell his name!”
- Lisa on the trials and regrets of her dating life (and on living amongst scientists)

“I know Lisa’s glib, but she’s certainly not funny.”
- Andrew according to Ericka

“Well, like all good Christians I was instilled with a deep sense of shame regarding physical touch, but at least I missed the ‘I Kissed Dating Goodbye’ scene.”
- Lisa on courtship

“I’m sure I can work up some tears that’ll be really meaningful.”
- Liz on emotions

“I hated him at first. And then, he went and saw a shrink and now he’s so fun and their marriage is great.”
- Lisa on the value of marital counseling.

“They’re totally paving their way to heaven with organic food.”
- Lisa on ‘crunchy’ Christians

“Ok, simplicity is great, but if it means dining only on stale bread and cold water, maybe you’re missing the point.”
- Lisa reflects on the WMF lifestyle celebrations

“Honestly, in my heart of hearts, I don’t give a rat’s ass about basketball.”
- Lisa on Valpo’s moment of basketball glory

My favorite picture…

**Note: these are a mere sampler of the humor and photographic moments that occurred in such a brief time, more quotes to come.

love to you all.

Sidenote Number Endless.

We will return to the intended programming (Ode to Toronto, in Quotes) after this brief sidenote:

I am blown away by the power of the internet. Having recently discovered that if you google my name, all sorts of great things come up, not least of which is this blog, I am interested to know who is a part of my internet life. Whether you stopped by on a stalking or a surfing whim, please leave me a comment and let me know how you got here.

I’d like to know my audience better.

And now back to the good stuff…

A little- little late.

I hate these people. Thanks to them I am sitting at the 24 hour coffee shop in East Lansing, awaiting Lisa’s arrival in Michigan. At which point we will drive 4+ hours to Canada… starting at 11:30 pm.

Oh boy.

I talked to Amtrak four times on the phone. All four times they tried to tell me that Lisa’s train “left at 3:00 pm ma’am.” “No, it didn’t, she just called me from Chicago and said she has not moved.” This was the point where three out of the four times they told me that there was nothing they could do, tell me, or advise me. Yes- her train was already 3 hours late, yes there was a huge accident on the tracks, but no, they had nothing to say.

agh.

Now I understand why WMF people always seem to write these angry blogs about travel frustrations, it all makes sense.

I blame it on Lisa’s luck. Check out some of her archives, for real.

So I ate some Korean food, so good… I haven’t had Korean in a long time. And now I’m at the coffee shop. When I walked in all these people started to stare at me, I couldn’t figure out why. Then I realized I am wearing the weirdest outfit- I have a big plaid skirt from Goodwill and a blue t-shirt with a rainbow across the front. This is East Lansing, home of the MSU undergrad. Hahaha!

“This will be a funny story in 24 hours.” That is my mantra.

Toronto.

This weekend I am going to my favorite city. After several harrowing treks through the Amtrak system, I am relieved to know that LtF will still be road-tripping with me from GR to Mecca.

I’m pretty thankful to call these people my friends.

It started with Chester befriending me while I “decompressed” from my Servant Team by working at Prem Dan in Kolkata for three weeks. She and Lisa were on their own pilgrimage of faith in Kolkata, seperate from the crazy and amazing cult/church that they started out with. Andrew was hanging out in Darjeeling and only returned about a week before I hit the big, bad US of A. We ate with Jora, drank chiyah, beer, had a birthday party and bought thai wrap pants that later fell apart. (Well I didn’t buy them, but Lisa and Ches did).

Less than a year later they let me come to Toronto and hang out for a weekend. It was beautiful, and challenging, and the start of a couple journeys for me… towards a new awareness of grace, humility in the face of my ‘rampant judgment,’ questioning, and becoming comfortable not being comfortable in my old GR life.

A lot has happened in 18 months. Two new people enter our small circle- Ericka, who I’ve only met for 20 minutes in person, but who has introduced me to Putnam and Social Capital. And David, the groom-to-be, who I’ve also met briefly but during a mutually awkward point in my trip, so we didn’t get to bond at all.

I’m excited to see them, and excited for us to get to know each other again. The beauty of these relationships is that they’re not based in shared experiences. We don’t really have those- two weeks in India- what is that, really? There is something different there, something about this interesting combination of traditions, Ennea types, opinions, nationalities, and clothing styles, that is enduring.

So consider this the preface to a story that probably won’t make it on this blog, at least not all the face-ripping off conversations that we have. But it’s a good story, and a beautiful one as well.

Shocking News: I’m an "I"

I am an introvert. Really. I love people but I am an introvert.

I get into the habit of living in an extroverted way. I’m getting to the point in my spiritual life that if I don’t spend time daily in centering prayer I feel empty. I know that living a Eucharistic life means being poured out, but it has to be love that is pouring out. Lately I don’t feel like I’m pouring out love, I’m pouring out all my Liz… and it’s a scary feeling.

So tonight I had dishes to do. (I left them in the sink.) My bathroom floor could walk, it’s so dirty. (I didn’t clean it.) I’m only to last name “I” in my Christmas cards. (December 25 is still pretty far away, right?) I have 71 e-mails in my inbox. (I didn’t answer any). I had plans. (Which I cancelled).

I made the hot chocolate Kara DeBruyn gave to me for Christmas.

I read “The Dispossessed” by Ursula K. Le Guin, lent to me by Keith.

And later, I plan to read a little bit of Putnam, “the crack of social capital”… thanks to Ericka.

Pretty good night.

Are you I or E?