Relationships make the world go 'round.

There's been talks all over campus about the tragedy at Virginia Tech. In meetings, in classrooms, in the halls, in the offices: everyone is buzzing about it. We need to do this...We should have done that...We can't let _____ happen anymore. I even had an engineering professor admit that math and science weren't the goal of life. Rather, they were just a means of obtaining the goal (happiness and fulfillment, according to him). But his point (which has been the same point I've heard almost everyone else make) was that we should be relational. That no one should be able to go through a day without having a conversation with someone. No one should be able to go through a day without someone smiling at them. We, as people, need this interaction.
I don't know if that's the solution to school shootings or not, but I know that for alot of people it would be the solution to why they feel so neglected, why they feel as if the world is against them. See, I believe that we were created by a holy, righteous, sovereign God who does not make mistakes. God made us in his image, and God is a relational being. His very existence is relational: the idea of the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each exists with their own identity and own purpose; however, none would exist without the other, and when the word 'God' is used it refers to all three. I know... it's a strange concept. The point is that God needs active relationships, and, since we were made in his image, we need active relationships, too.
The change that I propose is that we stop going through our day in our own 'bubble.' Take your headphones out when you're walking to class so that you can hear when someone says 'hey' to you. When you're waiting in line talk to the person behind you. Make an attempt to learn the names of everyone in your classes. Go by and talk to your professor about his kids.
Clemson is a very friendly place. But it's also very big, and there are a lot of corners to hide in. If we will attempt to seek out those corners there will be no place for darkness. There will be no place for hate to grow and fester. There will be no place for jealousy. There will be no place for loneliness. There will be light. There will be relationships. There will be joy.

time

well, this is my first blog that is on-time in a very long time. However, I'm going to use it to admit not being on-time. We had a portfolio due on Friday. I still don't have it complete. My reason is that I simply didn't have the materials I needed to get it done before leaving Clemson for the weekend. I had, of course, my own resume and presentation. And Reed sent out the minutes and agenda we needed. However, I did not have the proposal or progress report presentation. And when our team member who did have those documents didn't come to the Friday morning meeting I was simply out of luck. We got the materials Friday afternoon. But I had to be in Greenville by 3:30 for a house showing (due to the whole "getting married" thing), and since we need the Novell network to make the web page I couldn't work on it.

Tomorrow will be my first chance to work on the page. I have all my materials now so it should be just a matter of putting it all together. I think it will go quickly, and I don't anticipate Miss Rogers having a problem with my tardiness because she has a lot of proposals to grade, and I don't think she'll necessarilly need to check mine first. So there is my admittance of guilt. I appologize to Miss Rogers for being late.

An additional post

Administrative Note: I posted today on my team's blog (The Sunny Six) which will take the place of last week's personal blog when my blogs are graded. Thanks.

The beginning of the end

This week Mrs. Rogers is out of town so we're meeting on our own in the library. I had to miss wednesday's meeting because I was at my fiance's grandmother's funeral. It's been a very sad, very busy weekend and week. It's a tough reality that life's activities do not stop for everyone when life itself has stopped for one. Because of missing the meeting I haven't really done much to help thusfar; however, we're meeting in the morning, and I plan to work hard then to do my part in finishing up our portion of the final proposal.

I hope everyone's final weeks go by smoothly, especially anyone who may be graduating. And thanks to anyone who may have been following my blog throughout the semester. Cherish what's left of it: this is the beginning of the end...