Hooray for today's thought provoking speakers

Hey folks,
I sure hope that wherever you are you're getting a snip-it of this amazing spring that came to Berea today. It was the sort of day where I could put my heart on a string and be carried away with the warm breeze. It sure tickled my leg hairs :) Again, today is full to the brim with joy.

What I mentioned in the subject is reffering to two wonderful speakers I heard today. The first was a one woman show performed by the leader of looking for lilith theater company. (If you have a chance, I recommend visiting their website at http://www.lookingforlilith.org/ ). The company seeks to tell the stories of women from various perspectives. They interview women about their theme and then incorporate those interviews into a stage performance. Their subject was the Iraq war. The woman did monologues from the perspectives of: a peace activist, an airforce pilot, a mother who had lost her son, an everyday woman who felt helpless on the issue, and an Iraq woman whose mother was a rebel fighter. It was amazing. She told us how during the interview process she realized that everyone was doing what they thought was right. Which, is cliche, sure, but powerful just the same. Powerful if you really digest it. She said she thought she'd find the evil villian cracking their knuckles and laughing at the state of things... but that it wasn't that simple, everyone does what they see fit. This lesson applied to the context of the Iraq war was quite interesting to me. Hmmm... I'm also reminded of Alix's dad's saying "all we have to do is get along"... Also, she said sometimes the most radical thing we can do is talk to each other. I'm milling over this in the context of my Christianity class as well... the issues of pluaralism.

The second speaker was talking about peace and he talked a lot about immigrants. When he mentioned their "papers" that verified people's citizenship, I couldn't help but draw a link that this truly is modern day slavery. At what point will we say that people are people and all should be free? I'm excited that I have a few friends who are planning to go work with the speaker today as a part of the Christian Peacemaker's Team he works with in Arizona.

Today when I went to play for Thelma, the songbook fell out of my case, so I could only play tunes I knew by heart (what a nice phrase "to know by heart"). I played "Annie's song" first and then later ran out of material before I ran out of time, so I played it again. In the beginning of the second song, Thelma says "I think I've heard you play this one before, and it's purdy".... I smirked a little. It was inspiring to me that to my little Thelma, nothing ever gets old. There's something beautiful in the fact that she literally hears everything as if for the first time. I do love that little Thelma.

Well, we're off to an Ecovillage potluck. Oh another note, I have been notified by the LVC about the three agencies I have phone interviews with. They are:
-Puget Creek Restoration Center Volunteer Coordinator (In Tacoma, WA)
-L'Arche Noah Sealth (the position is for a candle making assistant in a house for people with development disabilities in Seattle, WA)
-Elizabeth Gregory Home (a house for women who are leaving the shelter in Seattle)

I'll have phone interviews next week and keep y'all posted.
Much love!
megapalooza

thankful list:
-bouncy balls
-enough food to fill my belly and then some!
-clean water
-banjos
-Alix's fiddlin'
-Al White for teachin' me banjo and making me laugh
-Thelma
-sunshine
-wind
-my little housemates
-jessa baby
-kids
-the fact that I don't have any kids yet
-to be in school
-to enjoy singing
-a bed
-good friends to pray with
-the possibility of working with LVC next year
-legs that work enough for me to run with