tossed salad

Hmm... Happy birthday to my brother. It was right about this time of night, 17 years ago, that Dad pulled me out of my warm snuggly bed, and said, "Come on, we're going for a ride." I don't remember much else except waiting with a friend of Mom's, playing a game with little plastic apples, and then being lifted up to see you, a squirming bundle of baby and afterbirth on on the table between Mom's legs. What my parents were possibly thinking when they did that to their not-quite-four-year-old daughter, I'm not really sure. But I'm glad your looks have improved since then. Hmmm... also a congratulations is in order: this is your first birthday where you are taller than I am.

Okay that's about it for the sentimental stuff. As usual, I'm going to write about jujitsu. I think to the outsider's perspective, this means I am completely obsessed with jujitsu. But not really. I just think about it 80% of the time. Haha, just kidding. I wouldn't know percentages, I'm horrible at them. Anyway, today was the first time as a blue belt that I really got to help teach the white belts and give input and feedback. It was really interesting because I learned so much from it. I understood the concept before that: the senior students teach the junior students, black belts included, so the teachers are students themselves, and learn from it as well. But I didn't really grasp how much I would actually learn doing that until it happened tonight. It was pretty cool.

The other thing that happened was what happens every week: jujitsu continues at the student center over dinner, where we talk about pretty much everything. Almost everyone is in CA it seems, so for quite a while, it was just Sam and myself. We were both avoiding studying/papers, so naturally, we took every possible opportunity to keep talking hahaha. It was nice getting to know Sam better, especially 'cause it was in person instead of on IM. It made me realize how close-knit the jujitsu group is: I've had deep, third-level conversations with almost all of the members that show up predictably. I don't think I've made these kinds of friends at Rutgers in my three years here, with the exception of my roommate, and the 8 AM Warriors (they know who they are). These are the type of people that make you really cherish your time in college, rather than just survive it.

Anyway... one more thing before I go. My church had a guest speaker today, who was passing through on his way from New Hampshire to Orlando. After he spoke, he went through and prayed for people individually if they wanted it. So when he got to me, he said something before he started praying. He said (he was born in Harlem, raised in Brooklyn), "You, girl, you're a pony, but you're gonna grow up to be a stallion. You jus' a warrior in trainin' right now, but, HEE HEE HEE, when you become a warrior, HOO, you're gonna be a warrior!" And then he started his prayer. I thought it was cool how God could use a simple message of encouragement to really touch my heart the way that did. It just did something in me, and sort of lit a little spark, made me excited about the future, I guess because it kind of made me curious to see what's going to happen.

Anyway, that's the tossed salad of my thoughts right now. I suppose I ought to go study for my test tomorrow, now that I've got my thoughts out here. Doubt I will though hahaha. Goodnight!