Things are so, so good...
Sometimes, this whole world seems so very right.
Allow me to share...
I LOVE my classes. First and foremost, I LOVE my classes. I'm in a 16-credit program called "The Good Life," which is taught by two SUPER-bright people, which requires a buttload of SUPER-good reading, and which is based mostly on good, hearty debates. I love it.
The first day of classes, one of the professors passed out this handout about the health industry. Basically, it was: Health Industry: yes or no? It was a list of reasons for dropping out of consumption of health industry services. Can you imagine? Somebody actually walking up to you, and, the first day you meet them, they've got the guts to tell you their personal critical feelings about the health industry? This is not to say nobody's ever done that to me before, but usually they were nuts, and also unhappy, and also on a Greyhound bus. Seriously; I have so much respect for the few people in this world who are real, ambitious advocates of abnormal things (ABnormal, not SUBnormal).
YOU guys know how certain standards and norms bug the shit out of me. Like people going to the mall and buying useless pieces of shit, for example, while I have to dig through dumpsters to have something that resembles furniture. This bugs the shit out of me. The FIRST day of class, we had a seminar about dumpster-diving! No shit! People of ALL appearances and backgrounds were there; the girl sitting next to me was this Cali-kid with lipstick and what appeared to be big label EVERYTHING (Tommy Hilfiger this, Calvin Klein that, Gucci, whatever...) -- and SHE was sitting there talking with ME (freaky short-haired hippie chick who hasn't done laundry in about a bazillion years and is wearing a crappy old t'shirt and jeans that walk by themselves) about DUMPSTER-DIVING!!!
There is almost nothing in the world so exciting or good.
THIS, my friends, is the good life. Shooting the shit about what's right with the world, what's wrong with the world, and what I want for my life, and what other people want for theirs, with people who are NOTHING like me, but who listen...
I love Evergreen. What a great fucken college.
*Cue "Be True To Your School"*
Anyway...
I just wanted to tell you.
Attending the writing class kind of sucks. It's kind of a joke. And Wednesday, I'm skipping out early to go see RALPH NADER give a lecture here on campus. Ohhhhhh, Ralphie, how I love my Ralphie! He's my secret boyfriend you know.
(Okay, maybe not... but whatever; Norman thinks he's dating Britney Spears... We're all entitled to crushes, no?)
(I like Ralphie... Especially his google-eye.)
(And I'm dragging a Bush-supporter along with me to see Ralphie... Nyah-hah-hah! Helena Thomas, fucking things up the fun way!)
(I'm a revolutionary, dammit...)
Some people near the desk where I'm typing just had a conversation I overheard; part of it was: "I need one point nine planets to sustain my life."
Fucken weird. I hate using library computers.
After class today, I was so inspired that I went outside and picked a fight with a kid who was holding a "BOMB IRAQ" sign. I didn't REALLY pick a fight with him, just engaged him in an argument strong enough to show that he had no idea what the fuck he was doing or saying. Now, there are people who want to bomb Iraq who DO have an idea of what they're doing or saying, and THAT, I don't know what to do about. However, this was some schmuck trying to stir up shit because he's opposed to Evergreen's counterculture opinions of peace. And I don't like anti-Greeners. I've come to the conclusion that people who are anti-Greener don't usually have much REASON for being anti-Greener. And it's easy to fuck with them. So I did. Dude didn't know SHIT about Iraq, OR the U.S., or counterculture (he identified me as being on his side; guess my hair's not long enough to look like I'm pro-peace?), or anything. So I debated him, shook his hand, flipped him a peace sign, and wandered off.
Man, nothing's better than that.
You ever shake hands with somebody who's holding a sign you don't agree with?
Me either until today; you should try it.
Spent several hours last night hanging out with some homeless hippie kids in Sylvester Park. They were cool, and they asked if I wanted to join them, so I did. Funny -- in NO other situation (aside from hanging out with homeless hippie kids) will you ever be told, by a stranger, "You have a beautiful soul, can I hug you?" Seriously, homeless hippie kids are some of the nicest, most positive, loving people you'll EVER meet. Weird, and not altogether "with it," but nice. And they don't give a shit how I dress or who I vote for. Or IF I vote. I accompanied them to a dumpster behind KFC, and shot the shit with them while they ate some fake chicken and some corn. Someday, when I have a million dollars, I'm going to go down to Sylvester Park with a bag full of bread and Tillamook cheese, and make them all sandwiches. GOOD sandwiches, that have never been inside a dumpster. However, let it be known that what KFC throws away (useful, untainted, sanitary food, complete with plastic wrappings) is SICK it's so excessive... The kids had a good meal. I hung with them for awhile, translated for a dude who spoke mostly Spanish (I swear, I NEVER thought I'd be able to form relatively coherent ideas with MY knowledge of Spanish...), and showed the kids where the seals hang out at night to catch salmon...
Turns out that a couple of the kids were "camping" in the yard of Louise's former house. There are so few degrees of separation here in Olympia. I guess anywhere. Just think, all of you who know me -- you're just a few degrees of friendship or acquaintance from homeless kids who eat out of KFC dumpsters.
Weird, huh? Good thing they're all pretty well-adjusted and nice.
Hell, they didn't even get on my ass for not smoking weed.
That's love, man.
I've got to get going; I've been using this computer for hours and hours, typing at about a thousand words per minute (maybe not, but at least 60), and my hands are cramping up -- to say nothing of my butt...
Love and peace and all other things warm and delicious...
~Helena*