Friday, October 01, 2004

And I'm dyin' inside to leave you with more than just cliches...

Leave it to me to jinx the weather. I have been talking about how great and cool the weather is, and today it was hot again; come on Texas! I had to get semi-professional looking this morning at 7am to teach an 8am freshman English class. Semi-professional aka nice (sweltering) pants and a button-down (thought I would faint) shirt. Even if I wore an expensive suit, put on my glasses, and...possibly even had spoken in a British accent, they still wouldn't have taken me seriously. Fortunately for me, the essay Dr. Fink had the class read was both entertaining and kind of pop-cultureish, which I love. We laughed, we had class discussion, and I had a blast, even though it was eight o'clock. I cannot wait to actually begin teaching, because it is truly a high for me to get to share my passion for not only literature and art (in various forms), but people as well.

I am so thankful for my relationship with my mother and the wisdom she is always willing to bring to the table. Today we had lunch at Bogie's and I love how we can sit and talk and laugh at each other, more like friends who respect each other's ideas; that is invaluable to me. She has always encouraged me to be a free thinker: open-minded, strong-willed, and able to form opinions on my own. One way she went about this was to start talking to me like I was an adult when I was a very small child. She always let me choose what I wanted to wear (Sometimes it was frightening! The button-covers Danielle!), she never talked down to me, she always spoke at an adult level. When my youngest brother was born, I did not understand why she didn't want us to talk to him like a baby, because I wanted to do everything for him and carry him around, etc. As I have watched him grow up, all I can do is laugh because he is his own little man, complete with opinions on everything (most of which he can back up with facts) and a vocabulary that is kind of unreal for a nine year old. Back to my mother-- over the past few weeks I have really taken notice of how she loves me. Not how much she loves me, but how she loves me. When I was younger I used to think she was unsympathetic, but now I understand that she has been preparing me for the real world, showing me how to care for myself. This is one of the many ways she shows me, and my brothers, her love.

This afternoon I had a wonderful two hour coffee session with my friend Cara. We had not talked in a while, so it was nice to see her. We both had fruit smoothies at Java City, and I most certainly recommend them to you-- muy bueno! Java City should really look into the condition of their booths though, because on two separate occasions Cara and I could have easily lost legs or at least a thumb or something to the crazy topsy-turvy booth. We would have sued. I would have moved to Paris on my monthly checks. Maybe I would have gotten a motorcycle. Maybe I could have gotten a fancy umbrella in case it rained during my daily stroll through the gardens by Notre Dame. I am craving a chocolate crepe and a glass of Chablis. Hmm... maybe I should go back and put my life in the hands of the booth bench again and see what I come away with. Maybe I would be a seven-figure check richer and a thumb shorter. I mean, what's a thumb? Well, I would rather it be my pinky I think. Either way, I could definitely use a flat in Paris with imported Pottery Barn, and lots of Chablis chilling on my fabulous dining room table right about now.

Well, I have some friends coming over soon, and I don't want to be sans shower when they arrive. Reason for not having had shower yet: I was hoping to ride the 10 K route today, but I think I will do that tomorrow afternoon. Well, today has been good-- really good. I will leave you with lyrics to an Over the Rhine song that is playing right now. Over and out.

Latter Days

What a beautiful piece of heartache this has all turned out to be.

Lord knows we've learned the hard way all about healthy apathy.
And I use these words pretty loosely.
There's so much more to life than words.

There is a me you would not recognize, dear. Call it the shadow of myself.
And if the music starts before I get there dance without me. You dance so gracefully.
I really think I'll be o.k. They've taken their toll these latter days.

Nothin' like sleepin' on a bed of nails. Nothin' much here but our broken dreams.
Ah, but baby if all else fails, nothin' is ever quite what it seems.
And I'm dyin' inside to leave you with more than just cliches.

There is a me you would not recognize, dear. Call it the shadow of myself.
And if the music starts before I get there dance without me. You dance so gracefully.
I really think I'll be o.k. They've taken their toll these latter days.

But tell them it's real. Tell them it's really real.
I just don't have much left to say.
They've taken their toll these latter days.
They've taken their toll these latter days.


No comments: