By The Sea

I used to think that I knew who I was and that I would always be the person I knew.


"By the Sea" by Modern Life is War

We were young, numb, and violent all at once. We were always smashing glass but it was never enough to make us feel OK. Are we normal boys? Is this the normal way? We've been dragging dead weight across Midwest towns. Killing our times with our frowns. Alone in the crowd four years down feeling torn and beaten down. Alone in the crowd four years down, our hearts were beating to this sound. Me and you, we never got much sleep those nights. There was too much turmoil too deep inside. Lost in the dark without our pride... There was a light at the end of that tunnel, but we chose to shield our eyes.

Could It be? Are we seeing clearly for the very first time? We've been to the edge and we know what it's like to want to die...and that's something we won't glorify. We'll leave those miserable times behind. How far can I go? I'm rising from the depths of my own hell. I don't need another tragic tale. I need the strength to walk the other way. I found conviction in my ever changing mind. I grew up tied down and bleeding on the inside, but I know I was a victim of my own device, and I want to live to see a brand new life.


Stay Gold,

MMK

It's a boy and/or girl!

Yep. We're gonna have a baby.

I guess I'll tell you more when there's more to know.

Thanks, God, for making us fertile.

Our Apartment

So, it's taken a little while to get this done, but here you go. I made a short little video walk through of our apartment so that you, our friends and family back home, can see where it is that we're living here in the 'Shire. Check it out.



It's started raining outside. This is my first ever tropical storm experience... Hooray Hanna.

We got up early this morning and hosted a pancake breakfast at our place with a bunch of other hall directors. Durham was having a city-wide garage sale this morning, so we hit that up after the pancake breakfast. I bought an antique looking picture of Mary and a blond-haired baby Jesus. It's historical accuracy was its most appealing feature. I can't get behind a savior with dark skin and features... Everyone knows that Jesus was American.

We're going out to dinner now. Enjoy yourselves.

Stay Gold!

MMK

Pride and Shame

I was thinking about it earlier today, and I've come to realize why I'm so invested in this election business. It's not a partisan issue, really. It's not an issue of liberals vs. conservatives.

I simply can't remember a point in my life where I've been able to be proud of my government. I've never had a president to look up to. Clinton did great things economically, but turned out to be morally vapid. Bush did his thing and ended up murdering hundreds of thousands of American soldiers and Iraqi civilians alike because of the lies he told.

Maybe I don't hate America. Maybe I don't hate Republicans.
Maybe I just want people to live up to their potential.
Maybe I don't want to be defined by a government who can't ever seem to get things right.

I truly believe that there are issues being discussed in this election which have the potential, if realized and acted upon, to make us proud again.

I can't help but get a sinking feeling in my stomach, though, when I play out in my mind the next few months. I'm hoping for something more while preparing myself for the emptiness of what I've always experienced.

Please pray for the next four years.

Stay Gold,

MMK

Don't call it a comeback.

I looked at this just now and realized that I haven't written on here in, like, forever. I've been pretty busy lately, though, so I suppose that the silence is somewhat justified. Having a career takes up a lot of one's time and energy. So it goes.

I'm in the midst of hall director training right now ans so I'm learning all about running a residence hall here at the University of New Hampshire. I wouldn't say that the training is too difficult or that it's been frightening at all. On the other hand, it's served to affirm the choice I made to work on this campus. It's nothing revolutionary or unknown to me. I've done this work before. I am pleased to be learning, though, that it seems that I'll be working for a department and with people who reflect the type of professional I would like to be.

Sarah wrote in her last entry that we moved into our apartment last week. I promise that we will take some pictures and upload them soon. I know that there are those of you amongst our readership who would love to see the place that we call home. We're still waiting on a couple of maintenance projects to be completed before our place is "done," so we will get pictures up once those projects are finished.

I bought a 42" TV last week and it's glorious. High definition television makes me want to be a better person. I wish high definition television was my dad, that's how much I love it. (Just kidding, actual Dad, I'm just trying to prove a point.)

I am going to be participating in a fantasy football pool with a couple of other hall directors this fall, so I've been doing research lately about which players I'd like to draft for my team. This is my first real excursion into the realm of fantasy football, so I hope it goes well. And by "well" I mean that I hope I don't suck it up big time.

Albums I've been listening to lately:
Public Enemy - "Power to the People and The Beats"
The Warriors - "Genuine Sense of Outrage"
Alli Rogers - "The Day of Small Things"

The Olympics have been fun to watch this past week, though I feel kind of dirty for cheering so heartily for America. There's nothing like a little blind nationalism every couple of years to keep you feeling like you're better than the rest of the world.

"Hey, I wonder what's the story behind that athlete from Zimbabwe..."
"Who cares! Stars and stripes and white people, fuck yeaaaaaaa!"

So it goes!

I think maybe I will go to bed now. I've decided to put a temporary gag order on myself from talking too much about politics here. I don't think Sarah always appreciates how, um, passionate (some might say "angry") I get when I'm discussing my hopes for the future of our nation. I think some other people might agree with her.

"If you're not angry, you're not paying attention."
"Anger is a gift."

Somethings to think about.

Stay Gold, everyone.

MMK