Sunday, June 04, 2006

Odd Lots & Motley Crews

Friends can be such complex creatures. We are friends with two groups of single ladies: the Odd Lot and the Motley Crew. The Odd Lot is an odd accumulation of friends that someone has asked, "What do you have in common?" Certainly our differences may be greater than our similarities. The Motley Crew is also a group of friends with many differences.

Who would ever name a group of friends either the Odd Lot or the Motley Crew? Does the name indicate a low self-image? Possibly. I think that when I hear one of the ladies say she used to beg God to just make her normal. But what is normal? Does the name indicate a feeling of not being accepted? Possibly. I think that when they ask if we really want to hang out with the Motley Crew.

Are these friends lacking in value? Certainly not! Are they unaccepted? Again, certainly not! Each of their lives and personalities have value. I hope I can encourage each of them to be all God created them to be. They are, indeed, unique--just like everybody else.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

One week post school year


So what does a teacher do over the summer?

Beginning last Thursday I set to writing the last chapter of my dissertation. Problem #1 -- How do you finish something like that? I wanted to write FINIS at the end, but I didn't think my committee would allow something like that. Tuesday afternoon I was ready to print the thing out once again. Problem #2 arose -- the printer kept printing garbage in the middle of a page and sending the rest of the page onto another page. Finally I went to school and used the printer there to print out 820 pages (four copies of 205 pages). The next stop was the post office. Do you know how much it costs to send 8lbs and 14 oz. of paper express mail? Too much! And I still have a bill from the school for using the printer there.

Yesterday I was back at school beginning the process of getting ready for another year. I have extra to do because I am getting all new textbooks next year. Today I am supposed to be housecleaning my bedroom. Actually it was on my agenda for January and I am only now getting it done.

So what does a teacher do in the summer? All the things there was no time for during school.