Jan 03 2009

Home Again

Category: General,Life — Lindsay @ 11:44 pm

I leave home tomorrow afternoon. In some ways, I am absolutely ready to go home–to my new home, my ACE home. I needed a break, but I’m ready to go back.

I’ve really appreciated the time to work (which I will resume for a little while after I post this) while not having to go to work. I managed to get my lessons planned for tenth grade for the next two weeks! This is a substantial accomplishment, especially after the semester I had. I set up my grade book for next quarter and my attendance record for next semester. In the process, I accidentally deleted some important files, but that just means I’ll have to cart home some papers to scan. I ran across a couple of PDF-to-text converters that might come in handy. I read almost all the stories I want to teach my ninth-graders for the next month or so, including the ones for my ACE-required unit. I still have plenty to work on (like managing the paper load), but I think I have hope again.

I have had fabulous times with my friends over break. The day after I flew in, I went to Guy and Becca’s Christmas party, where I got to see Scott for the first time since…last year’s Secret Santa! I left there and went straight (and technically late) to Kaitlyn’s graduation party to see all my CSC friends. I told Chris S. about my difficulties, admitting that community became more important than anything else. He, in his new seminary-informed wisdom, suggested that God might have been teaching me the importance of community through those very experiences.

Last Saturday, I went out to see the National Christmas Tree with Guy and Becca (Picasa-patched photos forthcoming). I commented on the Metro ride in that I was finally feeling like a normal person again. It wasn’t just swiping my Metro SmarTrip card that did it. It was chatting with old friends, doing something fun, and not feeling strangled by my teaching life. I didn’t have to be Miss W. anymore. I could be just Lindsay, and that was good enough.

On Monday, I met Jim at the Shrine for daily Mass. I make it a point to go to one daily Mass when I’m home over Christmas break, usually on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, but that was suppressed for the Holy Family this year. So, when he suggested meeting for Mass, it fit quite nicely into my plans. I got there just in time for benediction. I hadn’t expected it at all; I always thought they did exposition after Mass on Friday, but it’s before on Mondays. And I had just been thinking about the Divine Praises that morning. I skipped a line while reciting it during benediction (“Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother”), but I remembered “Tantum Ergo” quite well. Mass was fabulous, as always. We went back to CP for lunch and much-anticipated conversation.

After I left Jim, I picked up Maura and wound up back at the Shrine. I showed her the rosary windows in the apses of the Upper Church, and I got a closer look at some of the shrines on that level. There’s so much majesty to the Shrine that it’s impossible to take it all in at once, and difficult even over time. It’s the Catholic Smithsonian.

New Year’s Eve in College Park was lovely. Jim hosted the party on behalf of his current and former housemates. I got to see even more old friends, meet his new girlfriend, play Catchphrase and Apples to Apples, and ring in 2009 feeling like a real twenty-two-year-old.

Family time has been a little difficult, as it always is. I’ve become such a different person than I was when I lived here full-time, but my family’s the same. Even if that means I should come back more, that’s not possible right now. I know family is essential. I do love them. I think I’m only beginning to understand now that you can never go home again.

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Dec 18 2008

New York and Loneliness

Category: General — Lindsay @ 5:35 pm

I just read a New Yorker article on urban loneliness linked from BustedHalo‘s “What We’re Reading.” I only have time to skim nowadays, so I didn’t get to ponder it yet, but it was interesting nevertheless. I’m fairly prone to loneliness, though living in community has all but eliminated that.

The author’s point about friends and social connections replacing traditional family ties is particularly relevant to my life right now. My friends have become my family in a way I never expected, and it sustains me. Friends aren’t as permanent as family, but there’s something about choosing to be in relationship with someone, to stick it out despite hardships, that makes the love of friends so strong. They give me life.

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Mar 17 2008

Since I Missed Christmas

Category: General — Lindsay @ 10:37 pm

I know that “I just need to get these out of my Downloads folder” is a lame excuse to post, but it’s all I have. Like most college students, I am a facebook aficionado. Back in December, an application called My Christmas Tree got ridiculously popular. I caved, adding a cute tree to my profile with “Christmas Eve Sarajevo,” by Trans Siberian Orchestra, as my song.

My Christmas Tree became Festive Events, and then Gifts Gallery, since you can send a gift for numerous holidays or wannabe holidays, or for no reason. (Also for free, unlike the original facebook gifts.) I hid the application after Epiphany, but I also took screenshots of the gifts I received. (Last names are blurred to protect privacy.)

facebook Christmas 1

I also snapped the gifts I sent.

facebook Christmas 2

To be honest, I sent Kaitlyn two, because I forgot to add a message with the hula beanie bear. It was an unorthodox gift exchange, but quite nice for those of us on tight budgets.

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Dec 26 2007

Catholic Carnival 151

Category: Catholic Carnival,General — Lindsay @ 11:32 pm

I remember when reading the Catholic Carnival was the height of my week. Now I’m excited to finally be able to read one again! Last week’s was up at Aussie Coffee Shop.

Ian of Musings from a Catholic Bookstore comments on a Time article about the rising trend of large families among the affluent. I’m not seeing anyone right now, and discerning my vocation is a whole trial I’m not going to get into, but if I marry, I hope to have as large a family as God wants. Ian makes some good points about the reality of large families, even among the middle class. I can’t quite wrap my head around it, since I’m still a poor college student and my parents are still willing to help me out, but I know from FAFSA experience that when the government tries to make estimates about real people and money, they are often wrong.

Sean at A Catholic Canadian muses on whether online communities can–or should–replace real-life camaraderie. t’s important to think of technology-based communication as a scaffold to relationships, not a substitute. For example, Jim and I have a great friendship. I’ve even asked him to recommend me for grad school. We met on a CSC retreat, and then had Bible study together, but since we don’t see each other in person all the time, our friendship is supported by AIM. Without it, our friendship wouldn’t be as strong. Likewise, I’ve connected with some old friends using facebook. I make it a point to see people in person, though. It’s trickier when you don’t have much money, but sometimes quality time is worth it. Sean also mentions his interest in building community through the Knights of Columbus, which I, CDA Regent, think is a lovely idea.

At Bearing Blog (which is a neat title), Erin offers an analysis of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s recent document on the need for evangelization. The whole Church could use some good, strong pointers on how to evangelize effectively. As Maura puts it, we need better marketing. I’ll have to keep her pointers in mind, and read the whole document myself one of these days.

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Jun 11 2007

In Personality Christi

Category: Catholicism — Lindsay @ 9:19 pm

I hadn’t gotten any ZENIT news in my Google Reader for the past several days. At first, I thought I might have accidentally skipped a hiatus announcement, but then I realized it must be my feed. I was using a hijacked method of sorts to get the feed, since ZENIT didn’t offer one directly. Ironically, that made me miss the new site design, which not only changed it on its face, but also revealed much better organization, a search engine, and an official RSS feed. Now I can keep up with Catholic news and be totally legit about it.

Yesterday evening, I went to Jess N., Mary, Lacy, and Cathy’s house for dinner with all of them, Mikey Mac, and Alex. (Sierra lives there, too, but I don’t know her very well, and she wasn’t there yesterday.) Jess had invited me after Mass to celebrate Corpus Christi. I was unsure about going at first. Then I decided that I’d rather not be at home and lonely.

I think I became an extrovert when I wasn’t looking. I took Bloginality‘s super-short Myers-Briggs Type Indicator…oh, a good couple of years ago, and tested ISFJ. I took the same test a few months ago for HONR 100, and tested ESFJ. I and E and introvert and extrovert, respectively. Reflecting on it, I can understand that. I used to be much quieter than I am now. I would never have thought I’d be a retreat leader, or be able to debate against Roe v. Wade, or any number of things I’ve done. I still get nervous a lot, but I guess I’m not so quiet.

Last night was a case in point. Introverted Lindsay would probably have gone for the quiet evening at home. I’d only been to the girls’ house once before, and that was for Pat’s birthday in August. A small dinner would have meant talking more intimately with people I don’t know all that well. However, New Extroverted Lindsay realized that she really didn’t want to be alone, and that she can’t get to know people better without spending time with them one-on-one (or seven-all-together, as the case may be.)

I’m so glad I went. I pulled up right after Alex at about 6:45pm, but I turned my car around before I parked, so he wound up answering the door for me. Jess was in the kitchen frosting a cake. I thought it was a fish, but it was actually a monstrance. I couldn’t see the decorative handle/stand part. Cathy showed off her new books (I remember when I had time to read…), and then we all gathered around the table to eat. Jess’s chicken, bruschetta, and salad were delicious. The table was a bit too small for seven of us, but we managed just fine. And the monstrance cake was yummy, too. Cathy ate the Eucharist slice. It wasn’t quite the sort of Eucharistic adoration the Holy Father encouraged in his Corpus Christi Angelus address, but we like to make our faith personal.

Between dinner and dessert, Mike, Alex, and Jess started talking about philosophy. Jess quickly moved on to yelling about philosophy. I tried to follow along and not get caught in Mike and Jess’s crossfire. Alex turned it into a more literary discussion (I met him in ENGL 301 my sophomore year), and we somehow wound up discussing the difference between nerds, geeks, and dorks.

As it got later, Mike wanted to go watch the NBA finals on his big-screen TV at the guys’ house a mile away, so we just moved the party over there. It’s a really cute house. I love the pink bathroom in a house of six guys. We talked for a while more, and I sent myself home just after 10, giving Cathy and Alex a ride back to the girls’ house on the way.

I can’t quite articulate how I felt about this alternate Sunday night dinner, without my usual crowd. It was…different. Good different. I love both groups of friends, but there is a distinct difference between them, besides the Catholic/non-Catholic part. It’s something to think about.

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