Ever driving

I spend a lot of time in my car [Lucille four] these days: thirty minutes to school, ten from school to work, forty back to Ames. And that means nothing for some of my Chicago friends, which is incredibly unfortunate. I listen to NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered and sometimes Marketplace if I get off of work late enough. And when that gets boring for my tastes I plug in the iPod [named iHatepantspod]. That's alright I guess, I mean, I feel far more aware of the world that I live in by listening to NPR, and I love that I can have all of my favorite albums on a little thing that can play the songs at random. But it sucks. Not just the cost of filling up of the tank, but of the time I spend being quite unproductive. If I drive both ways in a single day that means that I'm not doing much of anything for eighty some minutes, and when you're as busy as I am, that's a lot of time to waste. I could be doing a fair amount of homework, or working, or things that I actually enjoy doing like running, or writing blog posts, or hanging out on front porches or whatever.

But there is a hidden blessing in all of it. When I can do the things I love [running, reading, spending time with friends], it is all the more beautiful. Despite the grueling runs I put myself through, I love them because they set me free. Last night I was running across an open field straight into the arms of a September sunset and though I was partially blinded and my right calve was cramping up, I was happy. This morning I've spent the past couple of hours in bed reading The Brothers K [a wonderful book, muchas gracias a Monica] and it was so nice to relax and listen to music and dive into the story, laughing, crying, underlining, being provoked to think about the meaning of family and faith. These times are good for my soul. And someday [hopefully soon] I'll be able to enjoy them even more often. But for now, I've got to read me some microeconomics without being too distracted by HD football. you have my love.