Whoa, look, its actually a normal post.

Well, it's been awhile now, hasn't it? As always, though, I have legitimate excuses and am entirely justified. You see, I've been quite busy lately and haven't written at all for quite some time and so do not have Chapter five ready. It's all because...well, lots of things, really. First, I put off writing a ten page research paper until the day before it was due. That was somewhat hectic and is not highly recommended. Anyway. I finished and then promptly left for a road trip. To Dallas Texas. It's a 23 hour drive and we did it straight through. W went to Texas because I was racing there. The race didn't exactly go well. People who I usually blow out of the water beat me and I finished mid-pack.Let's not get into all the gory details, though. What's done is done. 

I do want to talk about Texas, though. I must confess that Texas and Texans had been at the short end of a lot my jokes. Actually being there changed things a bit. It was so amazing! It was like going back 80 years; back to when people held the door; back when people greeted total strangers on the street and even struck up conversations with them; back when people treated each other like the brothers and sisters who we are to one another. I want to move there. It was so much fun. 

After Texas, we drove up to Oklahoma to visit with my uncle who is a contemplative monk. I am glad we were only there for 3 days because if we were there any longer I might not have been able to leave--it was that beautiful. Those monks really live the life. They are always either praying, working, or eating. It seems to me to be a become a saint free card. They all looked so happy and peaceful and as if they were in a different world. And they are totally separated from the insanity and chaos of this world. All they do is become closer and closer to God and more and more separated from this pitiful world. I am definitely open to it. 

After the visit with the monks, we drove home and arrived home yesterday, at around noon. 

Now, I am trying to get ready for my graduation in the form of trying to write a speech. I would tell you that its going spiffing well, but it isn't. Its going well, mind you, but not exactly, spiffing well. You see, the problem lies in finding that line between going "far" and, "too far." Two others are speaking and, by judgement of their characters, I rather think that they most probably will be giving pretty serious speeches. I then, for sake of not boring the audience with 3 speeches which are almost entirely the same, am trying to make my speech somewhat un-serious. You know, something along the lines of the comedic relief. The problem is that I don't want to go too far. For instance, I've come up with some lines that are gloriously hilarious, but that maybe wouldn't be well-received by absolutely everyone in the audience. Nothing bad, really. Just things which are not normally seen in a student address. I must say that me being at all concerned with going too far, is, in in of itself an accomplishment and not something to be taken for granted. 

Wish me luck and I promise to get Chapter 5 done sometime in the near future.

Gtg to mass.

TTFN,

-Thomas