Monday, March 20, 2006

Spring BREAK!!!!

This morning I woke up to find out someone stole my swiss cheese, and my Screaming Hot Salsa. It is Spring Break and rather than joining the rest of Cornell in Puerto Rico I am here in scenic Ithaca. It is fairly desolate, but last night I had the good fortune of meeting Pedro from the first floor. He seemed like a good kid. And mother nature has been pretty good to my by providing the most frigid horrifying weather in months. Hey who else gets to celebrate her "last opportuntiy to make mistakes" as my boss so tactfully put it, with 150 mph winds, snow/hail, and temperatures in the teens? Today was thrilling. First I laminated signs that urged people to not eat in the library, then I shelved a few books, then I threw away some periodicals. At this point I was exhausted so I determined it was time for my half hour lunch break during which I journeyed over to another library to pick up seasons 3 and 4 of Sex and the City. I then returned back to my own library to physically measure each bookshelf with a yardstick. After this thrilling day I knew I was in need of some serious decompressing. Fortunately, even though no one is actually in Ithaca, there are still gym classes. And finally, for the first time since my seven week course is over, I was able to go to Spinning Power Hour with Mike. It was just as good as I remembered. We spun to the N'Sync mix, it was endurance ride. We got the movie review, he saw some Tim Allen movie. He commended us for spinning instead of visiting the all you can eat dessert buffet. Everything was exactly as I remembered. As I trudged home in the sub-zero weather, with wind whipping down my face and neck, as a tumble weed blew down the path ahead of me, I realized everything was okay. God bless Mike and his flowing rattail, his Monday movie review, and his N'Sync mix. Thank god that at least one part of my life is predictable and there is something I know that no matter how long I am away, things will be exactly the same.

Monday, March 13, 2006

I love babies

I love babies. I love them so much that no matter what type of mood I am in, they always make me happy. I could be plummeting into an abyss thinking my life is over and if I happen to look up and see a baby, this feeling immediately melts away. I love all babies, girl babies, boy babies, black babies, Asian babies, all kinds of babies. I especially love fat babies, the fatter the better. I love their little rolls, their rosy cheeks, and their fuzzy hair. I love when they cry, I love when they laugh, and I love when they sleep. I love baby puppies, kittens, all babies. I love babies, I love life, I love my family with all my heart. I think that every time a baby is born, it is a miracle from God. I think it is truly a beautiful thing. As much as I believe this with all of my heart, I don't believe that all babies should be born. I am truly saddened by South Dakota's motion to ban most abortions in their state. Excluded from the exceptions in this ban are victims of rape and incest. This truly hurts me deep down inside of my soul. I wish that everyone could truly understand the pain and agony an unwanted baby can bring. Do the people approving this ban truly know what it feels like to bear the baby of one's own rapist? Do they understand what its like to be the unwanted child in an orphanage? Do they know the kind of psychological pain and damage this can cause? Furthermore, do they understand what kinds of means people will turn too once a safe legal abortion is not an option? Is there any proof that making abortion illegal will make abortion go away? I understand that people need to be responsible and that precautions can be taken in order to prevent pregnancy. I fully support safe informed sex. However, is there no room for error? I understand that some people may disagree that this is a decision caused by religious persuasion, but pro- life supporters remind me of the one and only Catholic service I have been to in over 6 years. In this service I was slightly curious about the option of returning to the faith. At this service I was informed that the word of Jesus is the law I am to follow. When following this law there is no "wiggle" room. There is no room for error. Either one follows the word of the lord, or one is not Catholic. I left this mass feeling defeated and irate. How is it that there is no room for human error, no room for life? Laws such as the ban in South Dakota are unrealistic and oppressive. Removing options from desperate women will only lead to desperate measures. I wish at times that people could step away from their rigid beliefs and account for a measure of humanity and life, allow for some wiggle room, accept that mistakes are made. Should children have to pay for these mistakes? Should lives have to be compromised in order to follow a morale code that makes little sense? Is a life filled with agony and despair better than no life at all? I am not saying I have these answers, but I think that women should be able to make these decisions for themselves and the lives that they create. In the wild animals eat their babies if they are contaminated by a predator. Should a victim of an unwanted pregnancy be able to make a similar decision? I want to say once more how much I appreciate the gift of life a child can bring to the world. I truly am amazed by the gift I have as a woman to produce such a gift. But I can't imagine what I would do if I had no other option that to birth a child at this point in my life. Because I think I can safely say that it would be a disaster.