Reporting Live from the Library

I am writing from the WTS library. And I am writing this while it is my first year, my first semester, and my first "finals season." I couldn't get a parking spot and was tempted to take a faculty spot but I didn't. My dashboard Mary would give me away. I am the only female I have seen in the library besides the librarian, Marsha. It is freezing in here and I need to outline a paper tracing the Holy Spirit throughout the Old Testament. I am layered up like a homeless person but I think that helps me be invisible in a good way. If I need to, I'll go into the women's restroom anteroom where there are Martha magazines, maybe even an Oprah.

It's the longest paper I've had to write yet. I think the assignments a great idea. I just wish I had the time to pore over the texts. And I only got two papers back out of the 4 I wrote. Reading the Old Testament to try to find the connections in Redemptive History is like translating a language--Water equals condemnation. Exile equals judgement. Jesus is the tabernacle. Jesus is the Passover sacrifice. Jesus is Adam. Jesus is David. I seriously find it riveting. I know it sounds crazy. It is walking that fine line. . . okay Jesus is David? David was such a mess! Wait, really? How is it not heresy to say that? And then the professor's like, "That's right, the connection is spot-on." It's strange but this is exactly my flavor of crazy.

When I have my Fridays here to work, it's so weird, I really miss my kids and our home. I have to give a half-hour to list-making: party details, recipes to find, where their holiday clothes are. I miss their crazy jokes, the loud chaos, and for heaven's sake, I even miss when they climb on me. I make a menu for next week, I feel better.

My trick for pretending I don't speak English here doesn't really work a) bc a lot of people don't either b) because I am obviously reading English texts c) when you are getting ignored for being a female, that crosses the language barrier. I wish that my program had its own library. But would a library for counselors really be that quiet, with all those folks trying to console and encourage? Maybe it would be extra quiet, like maximum-serenity, asylum-like quiet.

I guess I will get back to my outline. If I get a handle on this paper, I have two more to do. For those, I have to write my personal anthropology. (No, not the store.) And then I chose to write about Michael Chabon's book Manhood for Amateurs where I have to describe his personal anthropology as presented by the book.

And then, it's exams, baby. Yard by yard, life is hard. Inch by inch, life's a cinch. (That's from my hs field hockey coach's office. Did you think I got it from the Septuagint?)