College Happenings

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”  –Martin Luther King, Jr.

What a difference a year makes.

Last year this time, I was just starting this blog.  I was preparing to graduate and move on to an exciting career in journalism.

I remember reading my horoscope at the beginning of 2006.  It said something like big new changes are coming your way.  I just knew it meant I was going to land some great job and become a great writer and make some money.

Instead, I began to feel queasy.  I remember taking a trip to Big Sky to see my good friends and go skiing.  I woke up the morning I was to lay my first tracks on Big Sky mountain, I thought the naseau was due to my nerves, but nope.

After a day of skiing and feeling like crap, Chris and I headed home to the Bitterroot.  A trip to the grocery store and like 5 pregnancy tests later, I realized I was pregnant. 

This was not the big change I expected.  Fortunately my perfect man was totally excited.  I was totally depressed and dreaded telling my parents. 

My parents were happy and excited and didn’t even mention that I wasn’t married.

Nine exhausting, sickly months later, a miracle.  The best change I never knew I wanted.

And being the trend setter that I am (ha) six of my friends have since become in a family way.

2006 will always be a big year for me to look back on.  We shall see what changes 2007 has to bring.

I do know that I will soon become Mrs. Perfect man.  That is one change to look forward to.

Happy New Year everyone.

I got to go home to Wyoming for Christmas. 

I am not a big fan of the town I grew up in, but driving down the interstate heading for home, I almost missed it.

Not the town really, but my family and friends.

I never thought I would think about moving back there, but now that I have Atticus, I think about it.

I hate that my parents are so far from him.  They don’t get to see all the small changes he goes through from week to week.  They don’t get to hear all of his new noises or see him learning and growing.

It makes me sad.

I did have a nice time while I was there.  Christmas has become fun again thanks to Atticus.

At least five marines are expected to be charged, possibly as early as Wednesday, with the killing of 24 Iraqis, many of them unarmed women and children, in the village of Haditha in November 2005, according to a Marine official and a lawyer involved in the case. –Huffington Post

This really bothers me.

I don’t mean to be cold hearted.  I don’t think that it is ok that innocent people were killed, but I don’t think our marines should be sent to prison for life for it.

I have never been to war, I can’t begin to imagine how horrible it must be. I couldn’t imagine watching my friends die.  I couldn’t imagine trying to contain my fear every minute.  I couldn’t imagine looking at a child and wondering if he might possibly be dangerous.

I can’t imagine asking someone to volunteer to go to another country to fight for my country.  I can’t imagine judging that person for making a mistake.  I can’t imagine asking that person who volunteered so I didn’t have to, to spend the rest of his life in prison for a mistake.  A really bad, really (I think) understandable mistake.

I can’t imagine.

Thanks to my mom I am strong.

My mom set a good example for me.  She taught me to be self reliant and independant. 

She taught me that you can love a man with out having to depend on him for your self-worth.

My mom let me make mistakes, but pulled me back when I let a really bad mistake take over my life.

My mom taught me that you can love a person even though you hate that persons behavior.

With out knowing it, she taught me not to be afraid of trying new things, even if you have no idea what you are doing.

My mom taught me that sometimes, even though we lose, we still have to keep trying.

My mom taught me not to take any shit.

She taught me to value myself.

One of the greatest things she taught me is not to settle.  Telling me not to settle has made all the difference in my life.

Thanks mom, for everything.

I also have to throw out a little note about my super strong friend Luella.  She rocks because she is independant, she raises two little wild twins by herself and she doesn’t cry about how hard it can be.  For that and a million more reasons, she is one tuff biatch!

What is a good friend?  I have been asking myself that a lot lately.

I know who my good friends are.  I think I am good to them.  The ones from home.  The ones I know I can count on.  I am pretty sure they know they can count on me.

But what about the ones from here.  The new ones.  What do I do when I know one of them is in trouble. 

If it was a friend from home, I would probably get involved and try to help in anyway possible.

But, here, I have a friend and she is in big trouble, but she refuses to see it or do anything about it.  I think she is in serious danger, but I don’t think there is anything that I can do about it.  I have told her that I think she is in danger.  I have told her she needs to leave her man now.  For her sake and her kids.  But she won’t.

So, what else can I do?  Her mom knows her situation, so do all of her other friends. 

I am getting to the point though, and this is where I kind of feel bad, that I don’t even want to hear anymore.  I don’t want to listen to her talk about how bad it is.  I don’t want to see anymore tears. 

I just want to wash my hands and say don’t call anymore.  You can’t count on me to listen and sympathize. 

I am running out of sympathy.  Now, I feel like she is just being stupid and selfish.  Selfish because she stays, because she thinks maybe somewhere he loves her and will act like it again.  She is waiting to have him meet her needs, when she should be focusing on her kids needs and get them the hell out of there.

I don’t know.  What can a person do? 

I just saw a Bob Ward commercial for skiis.

I want to go.  I only got to ski once last year due to my 9 month condition.

I miss it.  I miss that first run of the year.  Riding up the chair lift feeling half nervous half excited.  Wondering if all of my skills will automatically return or if I will somehow forget how to ski and tumble under the chairlift. (that is the worst)

I miss that feeling of cold blasting against my face when I am going so fast and have such a high that the cold just adds to it.

I miss that feeling of boogers freezing in my nose.

I miss the burning in my legs that occurs after the first few runs.

I miss just being in the mountains, hearing the sounds of other skiiers muffled by the snow.

I just can’t wait.

I better go rent a Warren Miller flick.

John Tester is in Washington DC testing the waters I guess.  Checking things out before the new session starts.

I saw him on the news at the white house with all the other newbees.  He looked so happy.

 I am so glad that he is fresh and new and seems very excited to get to work.  He kind of reminds me of the country mouse in the big city.

He had a sparkle in his eye when I saw him on TV and that is refreshing to see in a politician.

He gives me hope.

My mom needs to move out of Wyoming.

 Montana is all over the national news.  The race between Tester and Burns here is too close to call at the moment.  I am pretty sure Tester will win it.

I am happy for him…but wierd as it may sound, I am sad for Burns.  I hate election season because someone always has to lose.  I always feel bad for the loser.  It would suck to spend so much time and money and lose.  But it is time for a change and I guess Burns has had his many moments in the sun.

Montanas race should be a lesson to everyone on how important voting is.  One person can make a difference.

On two other notes.  It is raining so much here that the bridge at the end of my road washed out.

And for the really really important news. SHOCKER! Britney Spears is divorcing her loser husband.

Luella says they are both white trash and they belong together, but I think no woman should support a man.  And that is what she was doing, so good bye to him and good for her.

Don’t forget to vote tomorrow, Tuesday, November 7th.

If you live in Montana, support John Tester!