the meaning of life is to live it

This has been a really good day.

I woke up to an email from my marine friend Ryan Tomlinson who is in Iraq. He told me he only has 7 weeks left in Iraq and he will be coming home in mid-October for good! Whew! I worry about him when he’s over there and extended periods of time pass from when I heard from him last. And so God willing he will be coming home to begin his pursuit of his dream job in the FBI. Hearing from him really puts things in perspective. I was lamenting playfully yesterday how I need a vacation since I didn’t get one this summer and he used the same words in his email...he needs a vacation because he’s been in Iraq for several months. Yes, I feel a vacation for the boy might be in order. There’s a Dane Cook skit where the father says something along these lines to his son, “you’re having a hard day? I was in Vietnam, I’ve had a hard life.” He’s been over there fighting on behalf of the United States with more courage and strength than I’ll ever have. I am very thankful for that. I’m very thankful there are people protecting our country so I don’t have to and so I can enjoy the liberties this county affords. It is possible that I can wake up and go about my life in the land of the free and the home of the brave and possess my God-given rights (life, liberty, pursuit of property, or, happiness, though it is argued that the two often go hand in hand) because of the sacrifice Ryan and his fellow men and women in arms make – sacrificing years of their life in service, and in some cases their lives, period. Reflecting on all this puts things in perspective, makes things I used to think were so important loose their appeal. I am being purposefully vague, but there are some things that just don’t matter and it is nice to just not worry about them anymore.

I wrote down some quotes from our convocation speaker today: “may you be liberated from the obsession over grades” and “education is a process. Life is a process.”

May you be liberated from the obsession from grades. Though very important, they don’t need to command a worship like devotion from your soul. Nothing should have such a grip on a human – isn’t that an idol? – and it’s nice to recognize them when they rear their ugly head and cast ones who have commanded such control aside.

Ryan told me in December he would support McCain because McCain knows firsthand about the sacrifice the people in the armed forces make, and McCain would listen to the generals, which is crucial for the time we live in. I have used McCain’s experience in the armed forces and Ryan’s reasoning often in discussions as to why McCain is the better suited candidate. I didn’t watch Palin but want to today, but did read the transcript of Thompson’s speech and saw bits of Giuliani’s. Definitely has me fired up for the Republican ticket. I hope they’ll pick up the momentum they’ll need to pull it out in November. In honor of the convention and Ryan and his fellow men and women in arms I wore a red, white, and blue flag pin today. It had rhinestones.

I’ve got homework, LSAT studying, and maybe running, maybe errands, and a dinner date with the lovely Jenni Asman tonight and I’m thinking South Carolina vs. Vandy game at Corey’s again as my reward for being productive today so I need to get crackin’.

Heard this song, an old favorite, on my walk to class today and have been listening to it on repeat. Goes with the theme of pursuing what’s really important and being grateful for life and love and all the fabulous things life and love has to offer. As this song describes, life is about moments, about relationships.

My sister has a bumper sticker that says: “The meaning of life is to live it.” How do you measure your life? Measure in love. Love is a gift and the best gift there is, because it is out of love, God's love because God is love and therefore the original source of love, that we were given life.

525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear
525,600 minutes how do you measure
Measure a year
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife
In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life
How about love
How about love
How about love
Measure in love
Seasons of love

525,600 minutes, 525,000 journeys to plan
525,600 minutes how can you measure the life of a woman or man
In truths that she learned, or in times that he cried
In bridges he burned, or the way that she died

It’s time now to sing out, though the story never ends
Let's celebrate remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love
Remember the love
Remember the love
Measure in love
Seasons of love
Seasons of love