Hey Toto, we're not in Michigan anymore.....

So, it's been three days and the weather is still perfect....what's going on? Is this Michigan? I can't help but wonder if it's the quiet before the storm. My mom told me that they are predicting a harsh winter for us this year....WHAT?! What would you call last year? Or every other winter before that? If you ask me, any winter in Michigan is a harsh winter. I am not a big fan of winter. Some people might ask me why I'm still here....well, I was contemplating Florida, but, between Andrew, Frances, and Ivan, looks like Florida is having worse luck with guys than I am. So, here I sit.....with my blue fingernails and goosebumps on my legs even though it's like 70 degrees!! I was walking onto campus today and couldn't help but notice that the flag was at half-staff AGAIN. Seems like I haven't seen a flag at the top of the flagpole for quite some time. I get into the computer lab and am riveted by images of September 11th on the screen. I can't believe I forgot what day it was. I had given some thought to it within the last week, but I guess when you don't have T.V. that also means you don't have the media bombarding you with whatever propoganda they choose to flood your mind with that week. I flipped through some of the pictures they have up and my heart sank. Suddenly, I was overcome with the same feeling I had the day it happened. When I turned on my T.V. just in time to see the second plane hit. There is that song, you know, the one that goes "where were you when the world stopped turning, that September day?". I don't really care for that particular phrase in the song. The world did not stop turning. Even figuratively, I'm sure there were people in Albania or Ethiopia that probably had no idea what had happened. There were some in other countries that were even happy to see it happen. Are we so vain to think, as a nation, we are the center and everybody else orbits around us? That's what the Roman Empire believed at one point, too........anyway, I think another song fits better, it was more like the day America realized "unsinkable ships sink, unbreakable walls break, sometimes the thing you'd think would never happen, happens just like that." Please don't get me wrong, I love this country. I love the people of this country......sometimes I worry, though, about our direction. A lot of people would blame direction on the Director, a.k.a. the President. In a Democracy, however, the directors are the people. Unfortunately, half of the people who are eligible voters, choose not to exercise that right. A Democracy.....hmm. It's funny. I just realized that I went on and on just now about viewpoints I don't generally share with others. It seems whenever you get into a political conversation, either the person or people you are speaking with aren't very well informed, or don't have much of an opinion, or they definitely have an opinion, and proceed to try and make anybody who doesn't share their viewpoint feel like an idiot. I generally avoid those conversations, which is sad, because I love to hear what others think, and where they are coming from on such matters. I was talking with one of my professors one time, and we were discussing some of these things. She asked me why I don't share some of my views in class, and I explained it was because there are always those few in a Political Science class who never shut-up and who like to turn dialogue into a debate, or worse, a screaming match. In my opinion, those people will make very good campaign managers, because that's about as far as they're going to get. I think that's why I have chosen to pursue Public/Non-Profit Administration as opposed to Political Science. It seems closer to the matters of the heart, of my heart. I didn't really plan on venting my political grievances today. I would love to be at the football game in Allendale with everyone else...I hope my sister is having a blast at her first home game at GV!! I wouldn't even mind being down at Wayne State watching SVSU kick the pants off of 'em. Oh well.......I have to go to work in a few minutes, at least I'll be making money instead of spending it. Honestly, I don't mind going to work...it's hard when you realize that everyone else is having fun, but, it's not a big deal because sometimes I'm having fun while they are working. It works both ways, and in the whole scheme of things, I'm really not missing much. If only I could've had this frame of mind six years ago. I might've actually graduated on time............NAH!!!