Dearest my many devoted and closest most personal friends,
Life has been hectic as of late. I've been running around doing a whole lot of stuff. I'm taking eighteen hours of classes this semester - that is six classes - to go along with all the Chi Alpha responsibilities and the work I do at South Central to pay my rent and buy food.
I can't complain, though. Even when my life seems the most pathetic, I'm talented at seeing the silver lining.
Let's take, for example . . . hmm . . . my favorite glass falling from the cabinet and shattering. Typically, any normal person would be upset. Here is this glass, your favorite glass - perhaps something your mother or girlfriend gave you. It has alot of emotional significance or some mushy stuff like that. Well, this thing breaks and there are thousands of pieces sprawled across the floor. Don't get mad, but take it as an opportunity to play a joke on your roommate! You put all that glass right in front of his door while he's sleeping. That'll keep you laughing for days! If he asks, deny all knowledge.
I've been reading alot of great American Classics for my English classes lately, too. You know, books such as the Bluest Eye . . . Sula . . . Song of Solomon (all by Toni Morrison) . . . Lolita . . . Reading Lolita in Tehran . . . great, wonderful, exciting books!
And, another bit of exciting news before I get on to the real entertaining stuff: I was accepted today into the Chi Alpha (www.chialpha.com) CMIT program. That stands for Campus Missionary In Training. Now, I've been involved in Chi Alpha since I started going to Nicholls, and lately it has become something that, the more I do it, the more I want to do. That make sense? For those of you who aren't familiar with Chi Alpha, it's a ministry branch of the Assemblies of God (http://ag.org/) that focuses specifically on the college campus. One of the main goals is to remind people that even though they are super busy with school and work and all those other little things, that God is still a very important part of life. He shouldn't be put on the back burner while you study, but your life should focus and revolve around him. We also work with (and this is the part that I simply love) students from all around the world. We get to pick them up from the airport, bring them places, have parties and fellowships to get to know them, have Bible studies to answer any questions about Christianity they may have, and, basically, just be a friend and a servant to them. I'm pretty much excited about doing this full time, and not have it just as something I'm trying to balance between school and work. At this point in my life, there is so much more I want to do, such as tutor International Students in English, that I just don't have the time to do, but doing Chi Alpha stuff will open up the doors for.
So yeah, on with the fun stuff:
We recently just had school shut down on us for the Big Hurricane Ivan. I'm sure you all heard something about it on the news by now. It was a big ol' category five. Lots of wind and rain.
Fortunately, it completely missed us.
We still got a couple of days off school, though. I haven't had class since Monday.
As I watched the news Tuesday morning, the storm seemed to be barreling down on us. I called my parents to see what their plans where.
"Hey Mom," I said as she picked up the phone. "Have you been watching the news?"
"News? What news? I don't know anything!"
"Um, so you haven't heard about the storm?"
"Yes, I mean, no, I mean . . . let me get your father."
I waited patiently for my mother to hand the phone to my father.
"Hey Josh," came my father's luminous voice.
"Yeah, hey Dad. Are you guys doing anything for the storm?"
"Yes. We are evacuating to Texas."
"Great. What time do you want me to be there?"
"Well, Son, to tell you the truth, we just don't have the room for you."
"Excuse me?"
"Well, we can only fit three people at the most in the backseat. It will be your mother and I, your sister Carrie, Ryan, and Tara."
"Ryan??? What the? Who is this Tara?"
"Ryan ate the alligator last time I cooked it."
"What?"
"And Tara works with your mother. Plus, she is Ryan's cousin. It was actually at his request."
"But, I . . . I love your alligator."
"In fact, remember that family vacation we went on last month?"
"Eh, no."
"We took Tara and Ryan with us then too."
"Holy cow."
"Good luck, Son," he said as he hung up the phone.
I returned to the news. "If you live anywhere in the New Orleans area, evacuate immediately if you plan on living," the TV shouted.
It was then that my friend Matthew from Alabama appeared online. I sent him a message.
"Matthew," I typed, "my parents are evacuating for Texas for the storm. They are taking my roommate and his cousin with them and leaving me behind. Any advice?"
The typed reply came slower than usual.
"Dude, sorry, but Matthew's not here. This is his brother Clinton. That sucks to be you."
"Um, any advice?"
"Run for the hills."
Figuring Clinton was right (something I never thought I would ever say), I walked into my room and packed a bag then back out to my truck.
My tire was flat.
I walked back inside and sat on the couch. As I lay there trying to figure out what to do, the closet door opened.
It was Antione.
"Dude, what are you doing here?" I asked.
Antione began moving his hands up and down at an astonishing rate.
"Antione, I don't know sign-language."
"It's Chinese sign-language."
"Man, I wouldn't know if it was stinkin' French Cambodian sign language or not. What the heck are you doing here?"
"Anata wa marui kuma desu."
I stood up and, frustrated, raised my hands, "I don't speak Chinese!"
"It's Japanese. You look like a round bear."
"And you look like a turtle!"
"Hai."
"Hello to you too."
Antione turned, walked back into the closet, and shut the door. I ran over and opened it behind him, but he was gone.
I hate when he does that.
Anyway, I then spent the next several hours boarding up the windows to the house, cleaned up the kitchen a little bit, soaked the bathroom in bleach, and began to make out my will (my truck with the flat tire goes to . . . dang I don't know anyone).
Thankfully, the storm passed and everything was okay. My parents, the poor souls, got stuck in traffic. The storm made landfall in Alabama before they even made it to Lafayette.
I'm going eat a hot pocket.
Josh