Well, just got done square dancing. I thought I was going to get to sit out on this REALLY long song. But then the crowd started chanting,"Knute! Knute! Knute! Knute!" (Knute is my internship mentor.) Anyways, he spotted me sitting by and watching the whole thing and made me go out and dance anyways. Whoooo! It was long and crazy. We did steps with names like "Swing Your Partner", "Oyster", "Wring the Dish Rag", "Doe see Doe(or however it is spelled)", and "Seesaw(doe see doe just backwards". The live band was good and now I'm off to drink some Coor's Light from my very own fridge that I will be returning at the end of the summer.

Tomorrow is Farenheit 9/11. It is the controversial film that shows the many ways that George Bush lies while the American public sits idley by and says nothing. I'd rather have a president who uses the Oval Office for extracurricular activities than one who lies about foreign affairs. But what do I know. I only have 1/2 of a Bachelor's degree. But I digress. A group of about 30 of us are carpooling the 2 hours it will take to get to the nearest town where it is playing. Should be good times.

That is the latest from the mid-west.

The New Year has started and my dog is dead. Mina was my beautiful, almost 6 year old German Shepherd. She was diagnosed with hemangeosarcoma 3 weeks ago. The first outward sign was bleeding from her mouth a week before that. Mina was a great spirit and a great friend. We went on many road trips together and not only did she provide me with company and a sense of security, she also taught me what it is to truly care for another living being.

I will miss my dog and remember her always.

I love you Mina.

I am taking a class this semester called "College Success." It is a requirement to transfer to the univeristy that I have chosen to attend next semester. The class is a college sanctioned self-help seminar. The first two topics covered were Self-esteem and Personal Responsibility. The idea of being responsible for all of the choices I will make in my life was pretty scary at first. I have been very good at blaming my childhood, parents, and just about everything and everyone for any problem I have ever encountered. So, this idea that I am the one who has control over the choices that I make, and, that those choices are what will determine the outcome of the events in my life, was a major revelation.

As I said, taking that responsibilty was scary. I realized that the wall I had built up as a protection mechanism against the world was gone. I felt naked. However, once I got over the initial shock I was overwhelmed by a sense of freedom. Suddenly, I had at my disposal all the power in the world to accomplish anything I could ever imagine doing with my life.

I am satisfied.

Something has come to my attention recently. It is the word peace. Different people from almost opposite sides of the world say the word with very different connotations. With the events leading up to the resignation of Liberian President Charles Taylor there have been many occasions on the television where I have seen Liberians saying the word peace. I suppose it wasn't until I heard a news report without images on National Public Radio, that I really took notice of what is a significant difference in the way that the Liberians say the word peace as opposed to the way that people from the U.S. say it. When someone in the U.S. says peace it is typically in a resigned and despondent tone. Sometimes it is said without conviction. It is as though Americans don't believe any peace is ever really possible.

When I heard the man on NPR say "peace" the other night on the radio, there was a different tenor to his voice. It took me a time to place it. Then I realized and thought to myself,"That man says peace like it is wrapped up in hope and faith." That is the difference between the United States and many other foreign countries. In the U.S. we have lost our hope and faith.