Trip to the Zoo

I have and will likely always be a passive man. Sonia, conversely, is a conniving schemer. She’s been planning and plotting all sorts of things for us to do without my consultation. Last weekend is a prime example: I was hoodwinked into watching Fiddler on the Roof. To anyone who knows the real me—said musical is within the realm of my top three least favorite musicals of all time. It’s not the music, content, or the length of such-and-such musical—it’s the fact that I’ve had to watch videos of it copious amounts of times during elementary and junior-high school general music class. I have become “burned out” to Fiddler on the Roof. Sonia has managed again to bamboozle me into going somewhere and doing something that I never intended to do. We are spending the day at the Minnesota Zoo. Don’t get me wrong: I like animals. I just don’t like going to see incarcerated, transplanted animals when I have better things to do. I suppose it won’t be all that bad. I simply cannot think of a zoo without thinking about my dear friend Michael. During the spring he taught an overview to the Old Testament course at North Central College in Minneapolis. As we worked our way through Wisdom Literature we approached one of our “texts of terror”: Job. Michael walked the students through the muck and mire of the text – all the way to the “Divine Speeches” at the end of the book. Throughout his lesson he referenced "collections" of foreign things vis-à-vis zoos and museums. These things are likely a result of the imperial powers that be flexing their royal ego. In the book of Job, however, YHWH is the one with the “collection”—Creation. Moreover, Michael referred to his lesson plan for that day as “a trip to the Divine Zoo.” I don’t think I’ll be able to go to a zoo again without thinking about him. I also can’t help but think of my father whenever I go to a zoo: he used to tease my mother whenever we would see those baboons with the red-butts and say, “Patty, look! It’s your mother!” I wonder what debauchery awaits us next.

I wish you a wonderful afternoon. Be productive. Have a great day.

-Dan

It's Been An Adventure

I recently talked on the phone with a friend and follower of this blog. She exclaimed, 'so you are alive!' Yes, I'm alive (thank God) -- but have been notably absent from the blogging world the last month. I have spent time at two Lutheran camps in Wisconsin, a preaching conference in Michigan, the ELCA National Youth Gathering in New Orleans, and am currently at the National Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO) Convention in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

I have walked countless miles, flown through Minneapolis, Chicago, and New Orleans; ridden in canoes and buses and vans and on street cars. Finding reliable Internet access and the time to use it has been hard to come by. I have lots of thoughts and stores and photos to share. I surely look forward to updating y'all (I can say that since I'm writing from Mississippi) from my last month of traveling adventures. For now, let me simply report that I am alive and well.

GRE

I started my Kaplan GRE preparation course last night. Before I left I said a little prayer on the way to the Kaplan center. I always get a little stressed when I drive to someplace new (and park someplace new)! This time it was bad (really, really bad) – and I couldn’t skip town either because my brother paid for the course (and they run upwards of $1200 dollars)!The first session had two and a half hours of exams; one hour of quantitative testing, one hour of verbal testing; and a half hour of diagnostic examinations. The stress was terrible. The test itself wasn’t too bad, but it’s difficult for me to remember algebra. It looks like my 8^th grade math teacher, Mr. Dalen, had the last laugh after all. I will do the homework and will definitely tough it out. But – it’s strange to have algebra homework again. I had a super bad panic attack when I left the center. Terrible. Well, if I can survive the stress, the class will be helpful.

I hope you have a wonderful afternoon. Take care. Be productive. Don't be stressed.

-Dan

This “life” thing

As a student of the Old Testament I am continually immersing myself with more and more Hebrew and Akkadian (a lesser extent with the latter) words. I love names. You’d be surprised how many names are Hebrew in origin. One name, for example, is the name Caleb. Caleb is Hebrew for “dog” – an animal that we love in our North American culture, but nonetheless was despised in the ancient Near East. I get really excited when I am able to connect Akkadian and Hebrew words. The word kalbum means dog in Akkadian. See how similar that is to the Hebrew, caleb? I think most people have heard the old adage: life is a “female dog” (you’ll have to use your imagination to a certain extent)! Well, my little brother gave me some unfortunate news about a dear old friend of ours: Kevin has cancer. Our friend, Kevin (only twenty-three), was recently diagnosed with malignant melanoma. The saddest part about his condition is the lateness of the detection: it was about a year too late. Life… this life thing… there’s nothing fair about it. To bust out some Hebrew: life’s such a caleb! And some Akkadian: life’s a real kalbum! Bah!

Well, regardless – I sincerely wish you the best of weekends and a wonderful start to the next week. I will likely be quite busy, but will take time to blog whenever I get the chance. Take care.

-Dan