here i go again

"Here I go again on my own
goin' down the only road I've ever known.
Like a hobo I was born to walk alone.
An' I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time
but here I go again, here I go again,
here I go again, here I go."
- Whitesnake

Really, what better way to open another school year than quoting whitesnake?
The summer days are dwindling down, and new faces are appearing at school, dazed and overwhelmed by this different setting. Me, i've been in this setting all summer, working like a dog, and trying not to hold their excitement against them.
New things are happening for me too, new challenges and ways to grow and discover what i am capable of. i'm sure i'll freak out, but on the other side of it, i'll be glad i went through it - like lots of other times in my life that have shaped me. my final acts of the summer will be finishing up some summer school essays, and then designing the new edition of the school newspaper, the et cetera. i'm the editor, and it's starting to sink in what kind of power i wield. i'm getting excited about things, it seems to mesh well with my other job - barrista extraordinaire at the well, which is the real information hub at school. it's there that i can cajole people into writing articles for me. i think this is where my real job will lie, as opposed to editing. it will be in getting a wide range of the student body to write and share their perspective on things.

tonight i went to a bar with some friends that had live flamenco dancing. sipped some sangria, and people watched. the dancers were awesome, it was a non-pretentious place, that was low on the "scene" and full of people who wanted to chill and watch some cool dancing. i watched the dancers' faces and loved how their faces lit up when they were really feeling the rhythm and movements. i want to pay attention to the things in my life that make me feel joy like they do when they dance. even in the choreographed movements, there is room for freedom and expression.

i am hopeful for this year and what will happen in me, and in the lives of my friends. i am struck by the quality of people that i have gotten to know in my time here and am so impressed with their character, wisdom, and openness to God's leading. not to mention their knowledge of tom petty lyrics, fantasy football, frisbee throwing skills, and how we can all sit around a table and spend the evening laughing. so whitesnake doesn't have it quite right - i'm not on my own ... or maybe it's just that we're all a bunch of crazy hobos together.