“ptolemy may have a difficult name, but he was no dummy.”

– my world views professor

I think early-morning classes make even professors a little bit punchy. I never, for instance, thought I would hear the word “dummy” coming out of a professor’s mouth, let alone a professor teaching an honors course about diverse and intellectually challenging world views.

World views is a fun class, but not because of the course’s content (frankly, I am only interested in dismantling the parts of my world view which relate directly to the production of poetry or art; philosophy classes and theology classes have thorougly exhausted my general-dismantling-of-views energy). It is fun because I am close friends with four people in that class and know most of the other 9-9:50 a.m. inhabitants of Boyer 136 through first-year seminar or other honors classes. We have great discussions because we are already acquainted — and I experience an astounding sense of well-being when I walk into that classroom with coffee cup in hand (lo, caffeine is indeed the nectar of the gods) and see people that I love arrayed around the classroom.

Matt, one of my close friends since freshman year, mentioned to me yesterday that he is graduating early from Messiah; he will be done this December. It made me realize: this semester is the last time we will all be together, for sure, everyone.

Maybe I take this sense of well-being for granted?

I am most emphatically of the opinion that one should be at college to work, and not to goof off or find a spouse. But I am also formulating to myself this fact: it is in the realm of relationships that one is able to internalize and apply the material one is learning so assiduously in class. If it does not apply to these, the community — maybe I will even go so far as to say the kingdom of God? — then is it really of use?

It is going to storm tonight — but I am so all about going to get sushi with my boyfriend that it will not even bother me if ten tons of water dump to earth.

I hope you have a lovely Friday afternoon.

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