The Intersection

what direction, what direction?
death? or action?
life begins at the intersection-
what direction, what direction now?
-Faust, Midas, and Myself-- Switchfoot



Where does life begin, then? What is the intersection? Is it death, or action, or a new direction?

Intersections are typically the places where two or three streets cross each other; some cars turn, some stay their course, and some have to wait their turn to move on. There are rules that one must follow, and breaking them can have serious consequences.

In geometry, intersecting lines are lines that cross over each other, sharing exactly one point, then continuing on infinitely, never touching again. The intersection, in this case, is that exactly one point.

The other thing I think of instantly is that stupid commercial that’s always on during the positive rock show for “crosswalk.com, the intersection of faith and life.” In this instance, the intersection is the place where two things meet, and in the case of faith and life, hopefully continue along beside each other for a time.

Occasionally, then, as it is in geometry, two lives touch at exactly one point and move on, never meeting again. There are some people who you meet once, or who write a book or sing a song that touches you at exactly one poignant point when you need it most. Perhaps you meet them, or hear the song, or read the book, again, but you are never changed in quite the way you were at that moment. At that point, a new thread is formed, another tiny piece of a life that is still barely beginning.

At other times, you find your path crossing that of another. Sometimes you have no choice but to wait and allow them to pass you by, or you must turn down a way separate from the van beside you, or the car behind you, or you can only stay the course despite whatever others are choosing to do. Each of these decisions at each of these intersections create another sliver of life; every bend in the road is a new, however insignificant, beginning.

However, these same intersections are also where collisions are most frequent. Whatever the cause, crashes can be simple disagreements that result in ameliorating some issue. On the other hand, sometimes all parties emerge bent and broken. These painful experiences can be used to start over in a relationship, or an endeavor, or anything, or they can drag everyone involved down inside their own anger to forget that you had a life at all.

Many of life’s intersections are one-time occurrences, like car crashes and crossing lines, with a lasting impact. But some things, like faith and life, find themselves crossing each other’s courses again and again, and these are the intersections that renew life with every sunrise. Sometimes two travel parallel paths, sometimes are separated by infinite points, and occasionally intertwining again for only moments before moving on, then crossing, then pressing onward again. The journey cannot halt for old friends to catch up.

At the beginning of time, a snake slithered across a woman’s path, and the two were destined to correspond for ages to come. Politicians disputed, swords resisted, and somewhere in the midst of sheer imperfection, two wooden beams met to become the greatest intersection of all: faultlessness meeting wholly with shortcoming, so that life might begin at that place.

And today, automobiles wait impatiently at red lights, and humans shake hands at introductions and business meetings, and paths weave in and out of others as new things begin. Nothing can truly pass away, end, unless it is contained in a completely separate plane—and even there, it extends into eternity, where the hammers pounding darkness into the divine still echo a message of new life.

Life begins at the intersection.

Gunman

Last week I had the strangest dream:
Everything was exactly how it seemed
And there was never any mysterey
Of who shot John F. Kennedy
It was just a man with something to prove
Slightly bored and severely confused
He steadied his rifle with his target in the center
And became famous on that day in November
-Sleeping In; The Postal Service



Monday, April sixteenth, was a perfectly ordinary day for me: a bio test, a new friend, etc. But it’s already going down in history as the worst school shooting to date. Thirty Virginia Tech students and one teacher were killed before the gunman took his own life. I can’t even imagine how scared everyone there has to be. It’s scary at my own high school. Everyone walks a little faster and talks a little more quietly when they pass someone they don’t know well—do they think we’re next?

What really hits home is the story of the boy who set the whole tragedy in motion. He was a 23-year-old immigrant from Korea, and even though he’d lived in the USA for over fifteen years, it sounded like he’d never really had any friends. Eventually he stopped talking to anyone, even returning a hello; eventually he stopped talking altogether. He signed his name with a question mark. He wrote dark, gory stories for his English class. Then his girlfriend dumped him, and he let it all out that day.

Didn’t anyone notice him? Didn’t anyone even think about reaching out to him? Or were they too caught up in their own lives to notice how much this guy was hurting?
The past few days have been stuffed with all sorts of comments about him: “how could he do that?” “Couldn’t he have just killed himself and let those people live?” “What made him kill so many others?” And the worst, “He was really messed up. He deserved to die.”

What kind of sick society takes one look at a person and calls them “messed up;” condemning them to death? This guy was no different than anyone else. He had been through some tough stuff, but he had a heart, a soul, emotions. And we always hear how you have to let your emotions out—well, here’s someone who literally couldn’t. He had no one to share anything with and no one to support him. That’s what was behind all those creepy stories. He wasn’t some twisted freak, just a human with a lot of anger and only one narrow outlet.

How could anyone possibly be so angry that they would take the lives of thirty innocent people who had barely begun living? I can’t imagine that. Then again, I’ve been loved. And he hadn’t.

And now it’s too late for him.

Sure, he probably would’ve been killed for what he did, had he spared his own life. An sure, had he only killed himself, there would be so much less sorrow and fear right now. But the media doesn’t report everyday suicides.

This is a wake-up call to everyone in the world. We all know how precious and how short life is. But I think what most people have still to realize is that we have the power to protect that life. We can make sure our school isn’t next.

We can make sure everyone is loved.

There are so many people who are hurting right now—maybe not to the extent that he was, but his hurt had to start somewhere. There are plenty of people who really don’t have any friends, and probably several who don’t have anyone at all. These are the people who, given just the wrong turn of events, are going to turn out like that poor guy. They’re going to keep getting lonelier and angrier, and they’re going to look for a scapegoat.

The VA Tech killer left behind an eight-page letter about how so many people had forced him to do what he did: the “rich kids,” his girlfriend, his family… all the people who never bothered to notice him. He made them notice. He made sure his message was crystal clear. And then he made sure he would never have to face loneliness again—or he would face it for eternity.

I’m not saying what he did was justifiable, or even understandable. It’s true that he probably needed medical help. It’s just that, had any of us been through everything he had without our families and friends and gods, our reactions probably wouldn’t have been so different. No one’s would have.

In the end, everyone needs to be loved. Everyone deserves to be loved. Every person we pass on the street every day is an individual creation, and even if they mean nothing to anyone in this world, they mean everything to their Creator. No matter how little impact it may have in this wide world, it’s our duty to be friends to everyone, whether we like them or not, even if we cross their path once and never meet again. Because maybe one day it’ll come down to a moment when they’ll have to choose between taking what they have and taking what could never be theirs. Maybe you stand up for the Geoffery Georges of this world just once, and maybe they’ll be sitting down to write a note of their own, and they’ll remember that someone, somewhere, cares for them.

It may not stop them. There’s no way to prevent this from happening again until the whole world learns to care. And even if another disaster is inevitable, we have to try. Because no family deserves that pain. No student deserves that fear. No young life deserves that ending. And no gunman deserves to turn his weapon on himself—no one should have to end their life in order to make it worth something.

just out of curiosity...

does anyone actually use these anymore?

it's now.

Or maybe I'm only human. Has that become a crime?


if you swear that there's no truth, and who cares,
how come you say it like you're right?
are you scared to dream of God?
is it salvation that you want?
and the stars so clear have been dead for years
but the idea just lives on
and our wheels, they roll around
as we move over the ground
and all day it seems we've been in between
a past and future town

sweethearts dance :]

my hair looked fantastic.

the dinner crowd [me, Allie, Kyle, and Katie]

we're pretty cool.

freaks. :]

So last night was the THS sweethearts dance and it was an incredibly fabulous time. Allie and Katie [two of my favorite kids alive] came over early and we got ready together; Kyle came over at six because he was Katie's date [they're just friends] and Mom and Dad put on aprons and served us a full-blow four-course gourmet dinner. Not even kidding, it was probably the best food I've had in a year. Then we got to the school and threw our shoes in a locker and danced the night away. I taught three people the electric slide. And the deejay got really cool and gave us a quick seventies medely with some Earth, Wind, and Fire, Michael Jackson, AC/DC, and Footloose. Kelsey and I requested some Bruce Springsteen and they didn't play it, but I must admit what they did play was pretty incredible. So no complaints, no regrets, and happy Valentine's day!

just another survey or two :]

50 Questions...
1. So, what did you do all day?: absolutely nothing.
2. What is the most expensive thing you've bought recently?: ahh... my Valentine's dress?
3. Last concert (or show) you attended: WINTERJAM!
4. Coolest thing you've gotten in the mail lately: no idea.
5. Describe your favorite article of clothing: black. sweatpants. "fore" imprinted on the butt.
6. Last video game played: oh crap. no idea.
7. How many CDs do you have by any ONE artist or group?: six by Switchfoot... no, actually seven, because I have two copies of Learning to Breathe.
8. What's for dinner?: good question.
9. Do you have any collections?: I still have my sticker collection from when I was about seven, and I always take pictures at every place I go. I collect memories :]
10. What was the last board game you played?: Life with Kev and Dad.
11. Who won?: Dad.
12. Do you subscribe to any magazines?: not currently.
13. Last movie you saw at a theater: the Pursuit of Happyness
14. Last movie you watched at home: Legally Blonde 2 :]
15. Do you have any special traditions only you or your family does?: not particularly.
16. What was the last thing you created?: a strum pattern for "Nothing Left to Lose" by Mat Kearny because I can't figure out the real one.
17. Are you reading any books right now?: well Colossians...
18. Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?: yeahh the American Girl series :]
19. What do you do when you can't fall asleep?: pray, read, go to the bathroom...
20. Have you ever randomly bumped into a actor/actress/or other generally famous person on the street?: no, with the exception of Chris at winterjam... "we're lost."
21. Are you more likely to read a book you've never read before if it's been made into a movie?: yes.
22. Have you discovered what podcasts are yet? Do you have a favorite?: yes haha... favorite would have to be the Hawk Nelson video podcast... "we got no FOOD! we got no JOBS! our pets' HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!"
23.What is your favorite kind of food that you only get to have once a year: Thanksgiving apple yam casserole. mmmm.
24. What's that noise?: my Rice Krispies! They're speaking to me!
25. Last dvd you bought?: the Mary Poppins 40th anniversary edition. not kidding.
26. Are there any musical artists that you used to like but don't anymore because their style of music changed too much?: yes. the Black Eyed Peas used to be the best thing in the world, and suddenly they're singing "my humps" and "fergalicious."
27. Are there any covers you think are better than the original? the Moulin Rouge cover of Elton John's "Your Song" was really, really good.
28. What food(s) do you go to the store for ASAP when you run out?: coffee.
29. Isn't there another appropriate response for "I love you" besides "I love you, too."?: well, you can say "me too," but in that case you're saying "I love me, too."
30. Last new artist that you listened to and really liked: FM static.
31. Last new one you hated: ah... I don't know.
32. In what country do you wish you'd been born?: France.
33. When was the last time you were scared shirtless?: I keep my shirts on, thanks :]
34. Do you like it when old ladies refer to you as "Dear", or "Hon", or "Sugar"?: yeah it cracks me up.
35. What is your favorite physical flaw: lisps. the cutest thing in the world.
36. Share a random fact about yourself: I... really like ginger tea.
37. What's the best field trip you ever went on?: Chicago in seventh grade. ahh. amazing.
38. Have you ever dressed up for Halloween at work?: for school, yes.
39. Do you have any clothes that you pilfered or inherited from your parents?: a few. I think I have one of my dad's old sweatshirts that I wear to sleep sometimes, and a pair of my mom's old slippers.
40. How old is "old" to you?: depends on what we're talking about. for someone to be, like, an "old person," I'd say at least 65, but for someone to be "too old" to date or something, I'd say eighteen.
41. What was the last free thing you've gotten?: no idea.
42. What's your favorite black and white movie?: Arsenic and Old Lace.
43. What color would you like to bleed?: ...what kind of question is this?
44. Do you own any Furbies?: yes. three.
45. If you have a wall calender, what kind is it?: it's from my great-uncle's mold company... and no, not that kind of mold, you nasties.
46. Have you ever been to a convention?: I went to a "leadership convention" in eighth grade.
47. If you were to dress up as a musician, which one would you be?: Bob Marley. it's all about the dreds.
48. Do you have a thing about ruining new stuff by personalizing?: not particularly.
49. Ever have those moments when you realize that you somehow just cheated death?: once or twice.
50. Does it boggle your mind?: yes.


40 more questions...
1. Would you marry for money? no!
2. Have you had braces? yes.
3. Could you live without a computer? probably.
4. If you could live in any past time period, where would it be? This is probably the coolest question I've answered today. And I would probably like the fifties.
5. Do you drink enough water? probably not.
6. Do you wear shoes in the house or take 'em off? Take 'em off.
7. What are your favorite fruits? apples and grapes.
8. What is your favorite place to visit? my California relatives. not only are they the most fun people alive, they live in Orange County :]
9. Are you photogenic? sometimes. not in school pictures though.
10. Do you dream in color or black and white? color, usually.
11. Why do you take surveys? because I'm a) sick and b) bored. and I guess they're kind of fun.
12. Do you drink alcohol? except the wine at church, no :]
13. What is the most beautiful language? Francais.
14. Do you like being kissed when you are asleep? how should I know if I'm asleep?
15. WHAT do you like MOST: Sunrise or sunset? sunrise.
16. Do you want to live until you're 100 yrs old? yes. because if I want to, I just need to listen to the John Tesh radio show.
17. Is a flat stomach important to you? not particularly.
19. When you watch movies at home, do you like the lights switched on or off? off.
20. Do you believe in magic? no. although I'm probably one of the biggest Harry Potter fans you know.
22. Do you like to watch cartoons? not really.
23. At what age did you find out that Santa Claus wasn't real? I think I was eight.
24. Do you write poems? yes. frequently.
25. Do you snore? sometimes.
26. You sleep more on your back, front, or sides? sides.
27. Would you rather have a poodle or a rottweiler? poodle.
28. Are you basically a happy person? of course!!
29. Are you tired? a little.
30. Did you drink anything with caffeine? right now I'm drinking tea.
32. How many landline/cellphones do you have in your house? two land lines, two cell phones- Mom and Dad's aren't in the house right now :]
33. Do you get along with your parents? usually.
34. Do you smoke? no!!!
35. Do you have a kitty? haha yeah
36. Have you ever had a birthday party? of course.
37. What do you do when you're sad? pray, play guitar, sleep
38. What do you need most now? nothing in particular.
39. What song are you listening to now? "Everything," by Pillar
40. What are you craving right now? my english muffin that just popped out of the toaster :]

snow day!!

That's right, folks! It's the first real snow day in four years for Tallmadge City Schools- we had one two years ago because the power was out so that doesn't count.

And this year, snow days mean two things: one great mood and a lot of pictures.

it's never been this cold before, now it's getting to me
amd I'm thinking about you
all the things that you've taught me in this life
that I'll remember 'till I die
so this is what we live for, this is what we live for
and now we're taking back what's ours
this is what we'll die for, hope is what we'll die for

-The Wedding, Wake The Regiment