Well, unlike Eliot and Bethany, I did go to chapel today. I haven't been to many chapels yet this semester because if I walk that far, I'm done for the rest of the day. But today's chapel was in the Mall instead of the Assembly Building, so it wasn't too far to walk. I had to find a seat since I couldn't stand very long, so I ended up sharing a bench with two students I still haven't met. They welcomed me to their bench, but chapel had begun, so we couldn't really talk. Balloons. A bit strange, yes, but life is strange. The plan was to let them loose all at once, all 3,000 plus of them, one for every life lost on September 11. But lots of them got away early or popped, leaving their owners holding lifeless strings. Yes, life is like that. When we finally relased them, they looked like a scatter of red, white, and blue bubble gum balls thrown across the sky. People hesitated, paused, watched, some for a long time. They slipped away quickly into the wind, then seemed almost to stand still and wait--like something else was supposed to happen. One of my students asked whether 9/11 should be a national holiday, and the class talked about that for awhile. It's an argument class, after all, so why not? Make a claim of policy: 9/11 should or should not be a national holiday. Defend it with a claim of definition: what constitutes a national holiday? What qualifies? Add a claim of value: national holidays are good to make us remember--or do we just spend another day at the lake? My friend is hurting tonight, and I can help only so much. Pain is personal. School may be too much right now. She needs wisdom. She needs sleep. Balloons. Rising into the sky. Light, airy, fragile, nothing but vapor, here and gone. I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord.

posted by Annie 9:20 PM

| . . .