I heart ya, Walt.

I have pried through the strata and analyzed to a hair,
And counselled with doctors and calculated close and found no sweeter fat than sticks to my own bones.
In all people I see myself, none more and not one a barleycorn less,
And the good or bad I say of myself I say of them.
And I know I am solid and sound,
To me the converging objects of the universe perpetually flow,
All are written to me, and I must get what the writing means.
And I know I am deathless,
I know this orbit of mine cannot be swept by a carpenter's compass,
I know I shall not pass like a child's carlacue cut with a burnt stick at night.
I know I am august,
I do not trouble my spirit to vindicate itself or be understood,
I see that the elementary laws never apologize,
I reckon I behave no prouder than the level I plant my house by after all.
I exist as I am, that is enough,
If no other in the world be aware I sit content,
And if each and all be aware I sit content.
One world is aware, and by far the largest to me, and that is myself,
And whether I come to my own today or in ten thousand or ten million years,
I can cheerfully take it now, or with equal cheerfulness I can wait.
My foothold is tenoned and mortised in granite,
I laugh at what you call dissolution,
And I know the amplitude of time.
I am the poet of the body,
And I am the poet of the soul.
The pleasures of heaven are with me, and the pains of hell are with me,
The first I graft and increase upon myself . . . . the latter I translate into a new tongue.
I am the poet of the woman the same as the man,
And I say it is as great to be a woman as to be a man,
And I say there is nothing greater than the mother of men.
I chant a new chant of dilation or pride,
We have had ducking and deprecating about enough,
I show that size is only developement.

-Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman.

Thanking.

From here on out I'm going to try to tell people how thankful I am for them everyday of the year. Just because it's Thanksgiving doesn't mean I'm extra thankful today. I have so many stellar people in my life that have greatly influenced me and make me better. I hope they know. I'm going to make it a point that they know. I have to.

Good to be Home.

Today was essentially perfect.

Asheville is amazing. God greatly blessed me when he decided to place me here.
Just walking around downtown was lovely. I ran into so many people I haven't spoken to in years, and it was so awesome. Catching up with people is so good.
It's such a good scene to be in. Such a good place to get coffee and experience your life.
The weather was just incredible. It was chilly, but the sun was out and so if you walked in the sun you could keep warm.
As a whole, the people here are incredible. There are so many talented individuals walking the streets, displaying their artistic abilities.
Just randomly greeting people with a "Happy Thanksgiving" makes my heart so happy.

How can I doubt anything when there is so much good and beauty in my own backyard?

I'll sing your praise.

It is completely impossible to describe how I am feeling at this exact moment.

It is the strangest mixture of distinct joy, extreme tiredness, bitter disappointment, lovely contentment, and longing for something so much more then this world holds for me.

I haven't felt this emotional in the longest times. It's building and building and the dam will soon burst. I am so thankful. I am so thankful. God is good, all the time.

confusion isn't funny.

Since first hearing "Skinny Love", I haven't had a song that I am absolutely enthralled with. That song has now come in the form of "Worth Keeping" by the everybodyfields. I saw them live over this past weekend, and though I had heard the song before the show, I was just in astounded with how awesome it is. I mean come on, "Take your hands out of your pockets and hold me".. romance doesn't get much more needful then that..Jill Andrews has vocals that will slay your soul. Her voice is so pure, sensitive, and compassionate. You can hear the sadness in her voice at some points. Sam Quinn's voice is remarkable as well. It fits right along with his eccentric personality. The two's chemistry on stage is unmatchable. The entire band is quirky, and really enjoy playing their "alt-country" music.

It's the fifth of Novemeber, 2008. I've changed my major and selected classes for next semester. There's going to be a new president.
My, how the time flies.