Breaking New Ground

A cool breeze rolls through my open window; a silent alarm clock. Unfortunately, Nature’s graceful alert mechanism lost the race of waking to a roaring engine, shouting voices, pounding hammers, and that remarkable safety feature indicative of large vehicles in their reverse gear: Beep! Beep! Beep! I welcome your imagination to envisioning our newest project on campus: The Center for Health Sciences! What what!! The ground has been broken! The unfolding of our “Master Plan” (*queue diabolical laughter*) continues unhindered by the recession! With no sarcasm in my spirit or voice, I am so grateful for that unfolding, and the noises that come with it. It allows for self-examination, and an opportunity to be humbled.

I ride my bike past the building site ever morning on my way to the gym, and marvel at human engineering, even on this relatively small scale. A little voice in the back of my mind poses the question what will I see that wasn’t there yesterday? This week they continued to level the foundation and were putting what I can only guess were support boards for reinforced concrete down in the dirt. Some steel rods were sticking perpendicular to the ground, and a gigantic upheaval of earth was sitting in a pile practically screaming for little children to hop the fence and slide down it. Not that I have that urge… Glancing through the chain-linked fence and watching workers toiling about their trade, I thank whatever power there may be for the luxury of wondering.

I do believe wondering is a luxury, and I always welcome encountering evidence of the fact that we are fortunate. Actually, we are pretty beyond fortunate. Chances are whoever is reading this has acknowledged that sentiment at some point in their American existence, but it’s always pleasant to remind ourselves. So, as I pass the construction site and the wheels on my bike are going round and round, I examine my own fortune: I am currently residing in the lush oasis that is Puget Sound. Whether I am launching my frisbee across Todd Field, or navigating my way to Point Defiance, I do so by my own volition, and am encouraged to spend my time in such a way. When I wake up, I don’t worry about whether or not I will have a full stomach, clean water, or energy to make it through the day, because I’m situated in the bosom of bounty. I can go to a Farmer’s market three days a week, throw rice in my cooker, rock out to Shakabrah, or, in moments of gluttony, grab a burger and malt down at Friso Freeze. Even the looming and most dangerous volcano in America in our backyard doesn’t present itself as anything short of beautiful in its awesome power. Rainier too inspires me with wonder, and therefore provides me with luxury.

I may be dramatic, but I do so with the intention of truly communicating my fortune. I’m taking a summer class with Professor Mike Valentine from the Geology Department, and even that academic nuisance is such a blessing. Apparently I didn’t get the memo that summer is not a time for schooling, but I’ve come to appreciate that my academic training is as important to me as my experiential education. The perspective of learning as a combination of outside stimulation and internal realization is at the heart of my fortune. I’m learning every day, with every breeze, beep, bike ride and book. The comfort which has been allowed to me should not be wasted, and I hope that what I take away from all my lessons and experiences here at the Sound will infuse future endeavors of mine with a sense of responsibility for the billions of people not as fortunate as I, at home and far away.

Perhaps my overtly optimistic viewpoints are my way of combating continuous strings of cloudy weather, or maybe it is just the effect my community and campus have on me. I have no problem radiating joy, annoying as that may be, and it fogs my head with delusions of grandeur and fighting the good fight. I enjoy those delusions though, and shall indulge in them until I feel like writing about military history and human nature. I assure you, that mood swing will come.

Party on Wayne.

P.S. Inspirational Quote! “Service is the rent we pay for living on this earth.” ~Shirley Chisholm

P.P.S. Chrisolm was the first African-American Woman elected to congress. Wikipedia her, she is saweet!

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