remember mr. rogers?

Remember Mr. Rogers? How he would come in whistling, take off his jacket, hang it up in his closet, put on his cardigan, and then sit down to take off his shoes and put on his slippers? And then all the little boys and girls in TV land would learn some incredible bit of wisdom, like ...

... it's okay to be different.

But there's a reason why he and other children's TV personalities feel the need to make us feel okay about ourselves.

Because we don't. We look at ourselves and begin to wonder what's wrong with us.

... or maybe it's just me.

See ... I have a problem ... I feel sometimes (like tonight) that I should feel like there is something wrong with me.

... but I don't.

Wouldn't you feel odd having watched Napoleon Dynamite for the 3rd time and still thinking that it's funny? ... "I'll love technology. always and forever ..."

Wouldn't you feel strange when the pizza guy looks in the door and comments on your "being alone tonight" with a twinge of pity in his voice?

Wouldn't you feel funny getting a rush from studying US Government and Politics, Statistics Analysis, Economics, and World Geography ... when you really don't have to? (Well, if you want to pass the Foreign Service Exam you do ... but it's not as if it's for school or anything)

Sigh. and that's where I feel different. I don't know anyone else that would be okay with the above idiosyncracies (except maybe dolly ... but that's because she's my friend ... but even she says i'm weird) and yet ...

... I am okay with it. Goodness knows I have a different sense of humor than most girls. And sure I'm alone ... but I don't know anyone else who likes looking at maps of Central America on a Friday night.

So, thank you Mr. Rogers for letting me know that it's alright to feel okay about myself ... even if I am different.

(I was never a big fan of the whole little choochoo train part of the show).

Okay, so who wants a holidays update ... I realize it's slow in coming but it's a quicky. Went home to Germany. Luggage took a slower flight. Walked around downtown Celle in my Birkenstocks. (ha ha! No it wasn't a repeat of a particular college incident, I was wearing clothes ... but the same ones from the flight 2 days earlier) It snowed. My feet were cold and wet. Came back to the US. Flight cancelled. Got sent to Cincinatti instead of Savannah (a sort of indirect route). Best friend came to visit for New Years. Ate lots of free food (what can I say, we're missionary girls ...). Gave a "tour" of the Savannah historic district to some guys who have lived here their whole lives. Made a salad and took food out of the oven for the New Years party. (I swear, i don't know why the smoke alarm went off 3 times... the lasagna wasn't burnt!)

There we go. That sums it all up. Just trying to make life easier for you who like to get by in life by just skimming through (eh hem ... C. Garrett!)

If you want to know about the college incident ... go ahead ... ask.