The Drama's Done

Moby Dick is a masterpiece. I need to read it again, I think, because I still don't understand it fully--does anyone? If I had to sum it up I would say it's an odyssey. A story of searching for the meaning of life, for control over your own life. It shows how futile it can be to try and run from your problems--you must face them, though the solution may be much different than you imagined. In many ways it is a tragedy, but it might also be viewed as a triumph in the end. But it encompasses so much more. The book I read had an introduction, which I read last (I can never understand introductions to books until I've read the actual book), that said that the book might be seen as an answer to the question, "what is God?" and that it gives six completely different answers. It is Shakespearian, surrealist, old-fashioned and yet completely relevant. I am going to have to think about it for several days, now that I've finished it, to let it truly sink in. But I'm not going to tell you how it ends--you will have to read it yourself!

In other news, it is Spring. It was my roommate's birthday yesterday and she ordered a cake from a Harlem bakery and asked them to write "Happy Spring" on it. Whoever did the frosting got really excited about the lettering, though, and the cake ended up with "Happy Spring G." It tasted delicious.

I've started running again, after a winter of dormancy. The other day I ran against the rain, and today it was the wind. I hope I don't have to do battle with all of the elements--is fire next? But it feels so good to work my muscles again. And I have a secret weapon. Horse liniment. Don't laugh--it really works! A few years ago I twisted something in my back and couldn't turn my head to the right without having shooting pains. It got so unbearable until one day my mom came to my house and rubbed horse liniment on my back. It's actually for horses--she buys it at the same country feed & seed store where she buys her chicken scratch. It made my skin turn hot then cold and then I could move again without pain. Today when I came back from running, I stretched for a while and then sat down to work on my crochet. But when I tried to stand up a little while later, my calves were doing wierd things--painful things. So I got out the horse liniment and magically the pain went away! I know, it's crazy, but it really works--I promise.

The best news of all is that I got A's on both my papers! The one I wrote while in the grip of a sleeping-sickness, and the one I wrote at 2 in the morning the night before it was due. And today was my last class before Spring Break! I have had such inspiring lectures this week by several completely different teachers, that I'm already starting to mourn the end of school. But I am still looking forward to a break. I know that Charleston was kind of a vacation, but next week I'm headed for a real one.

Oh, and by the way--the illustration above is by Barry Moser, one of my most favorite printmakers. I really need to stop stealing images off the internet and attaching them to my blog without any attribution. It's terrible of me!