I got to thinking how many people I have stayed with over the past few years, especially as I have traveled more. Living with the Madsen's has been great, and other than school or family, I will live with them longer than with anyone else. With that said, I am thankful for all the many wonderful people who have showed me hospitality over the past few years. Here are the ones I can think of... and there might be others I have forgotten...
Gibson's (Houston, Texas)
Frantzen's (San Antonio, Texas)
Sam Branchaw's Grandma... whose name I unfortunately cannot remember (Chicago)
Krepps family (Grand Ledge, MI)
Fiore's (New York City)
Howe's (San Jose, California)
Howard's (Berkeley, California)
Ruckman's (Daytonish, Ohio)
Downey's (Arlington, Virginia)
Odell's (Lancaster, PA)
I think that's all I can remember for now. I might have missed some...
In other news, I had lunch with JAMES today which was so exciting. I am so glad we work so close. We will be having lots of fun inside and outside of work this summer.
Off to bed...
Monday, June 8, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Sunday Explorations
Today after church I met up with Liz to explore parts of the Smithsonian. Ironically, I got on at Dupont Circle in the same car as she was already riding. What an awesome coincidence!
We got off at the Smithsonian and then decided to go to the Air and Space Museum. No matter how many times I go there, I do not get sick of looking at the exhibits. We only wanted to check out the space part of the museum so after walking around there for a few hours we grabbed lunch at the amazing McDonald's at the end of the museum.
From there we walked around the outdoor sculpture garden at the Smithsonian on our way to the World War II Memorial. Liz had never seen this memorial before so we decided to check it out. It was a beautiful day and there were many people flying kites between the Washington Monument and the WWII memorial. This is the third of fourth time I've seen the memorial and I think I like it more every time I see it. It was also appropriate coming the day after the anniversary of D-Day.
After leisurely resting among the trees outside the memorial, we walked to the White House and then around the area surrounding the famous residence. Now I am back here at the house thinking about Monday...
We'll see how this week goes...
We got off at the Smithsonian and then decided to go to the Air and Space Museum. No matter how many times I go there, I do not get sick of looking at the exhibits. We only wanted to check out the space part of the museum so after walking around there for a few hours we grabbed lunch at the amazing McDonald's at the end of the museum.
From there we walked around the outdoor sculpture garden at the Smithsonian on our way to the World War II Memorial. Liz had never seen this memorial before so we decided to check it out. It was a beautiful day and there were many people flying kites between the Washington Monument and the WWII memorial. This is the third of fourth time I've seen the memorial and I think I like it more every time I see it. It was also appropriate coming the day after the anniversary of D-Day.
After leisurely resting among the trees outside the memorial, we walked to the White House and then around the area surrounding the famous residence. Now I am back here at the house thinking about Monday...
We'll see how this week goes...
Saturday, June 6, 2009
End of Week 1!
Week one is done and over! I am already looking forward to the start of next week. I plan on crashing 2-3 FREE lunches either at the building I work at, or the Heritage Foundation. Hopefully it works out!
I had a fairly busy Friday. I met with Dr. Bobb in the morning to discuss my independent study with him this summer. It will be a fair amount of work so hopefully he does not go too hard on me. He did seem to understand how busy I would be with work so I'm not too worried. After work on Friday I rode the orange line to Fairfax, Virginia to see my friend Will. We had a nice, leisurely dinner and then went back to the house where he is staying this summer. I ended up spending the night there and getting up early this morning to head back here. Will has a photography internship which requires weekend assignments. Since there was a big "Race for the Cure" this morning in D.C., he had to be up early to cover that. Thus the early Saturday morning!
As for today, I mainly just sat around the house. I finished Lewis's "Screwtape Letters," caught up on e-mails, and made a few phone calls. Tomorrow is church and then afterwards I am meeting up with Liz at the Smithsonian! Should be a fun afternoon....
For now... I think I'm headed to bed... soon....
I had a fairly busy Friday. I met with Dr. Bobb in the morning to discuss my independent study with him this summer. It will be a fair amount of work so hopefully he does not go too hard on me. He did seem to understand how busy I would be with work so I'm not too worried. After work on Friday I rode the orange line to Fairfax, Virginia to see my friend Will. We had a nice, leisurely dinner and then went back to the house where he is staying this summer. I ended up spending the night there and getting up early this morning to head back here. Will has a photography internship which requires weekend assignments. Since there was a big "Race for the Cure" this morning in D.C., he had to be up early to cover that. Thus the early Saturday morning!
As for today, I mainly just sat around the house. I finished Lewis's "Screwtape Letters," caught up on e-mails, and made a few phone calls. Tomorrow is church and then afterwards I am meeting up with Liz at the Smithsonian! Should be a fun afternoon....
For now... I think I'm headed to bed... soon....
Why the name of my blog?
Tonight is a two-post evening. This entry I will post the lines that inspired the name of my blog. They also demonstrate my own personal growth throughout the year. There is a necessity to "sit still" in life that is often ignored and neglected.
I first read this poem with Forrest and Josiah the day we all left for spring break. It is titled "Ash Wednesday" by T.S. Eliot. Below is the first stanza only.
I first read this poem with Forrest and Josiah the day we all left for spring break. It is titled "Ash Wednesday" by T.S. Eliot. Below is the first stanza only.
Because I do not hope to turn again
Because I do not hope
Because I do not hope to turn
Desiring this man's gift and that man's scope
I no longer strive to strive towards such things
(Why should the agèd eagle stretch its wings?)
Why should I mourn
The vanished power of the usual reign?
Because I do not hope to know
The infirm glory of the positive hour
Because I do not think
Because I know I shall not know
The one veritable transitory power
Because I cannot drink
There, where trees flower, and springs flow, for there is
nothing again
Because I know that time is always time
And place is always and only place
And what is actual is actual only for one time
And only for one place
I rejoice that things are as they are and
I renounce the blessèd face
And renounce the voice
Because I cannot hope to turn again
Consequently I rejoice, having to construct something
Upon which to rejoice
And pray to God to have mercy upon us
And pray that I may forget
These matters that with myself I too much discuss
Too much explain
Because I do not hope to turn again
Let these words answer
For what is done, not to be done again
May the judgement not be too heavy upon us
Because these wings are no longer wings to fly
But merely vans to beat the air
The air which is now thoroughly small and dry
Smaller and dryer than the will
Teach us to care and not to care
Teach us to sit still.
Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death
Pray for us now and at the hour of our death.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Two Interesting Speakers
I've had some time to think about Justice Thomas's remarks yesterday and figured I would share some of them with the rest of you. I should be able to post some of the pictures Will took of the event. It was an amazing opportunity and I am thankful for the chance to meet such a prestigious individual as Justice Thomas. The Wall Street Journal Opinion page wrote an article this week titled "How Hillsdale Beats Harvard." You can find the article by clicking here. As I was pondering why I am so thankful to have ended up at Hillsdale, I sort of put together Justice Thomas's remarks with a lecture I heard today.
First, however, Justice Thomas. If there was one thing Thomas seemed to emphasize, it was to take advantage of our education. It is through education that we learn character, especially traits like honesty. The first step to becoming an honest person is being honest with yourself. Justice Thomas also pointed back to a proper understanding of our founding as a nation as the only way to view the law and the constitution. This education is attained best through a Hillsdale like education... and by being here (in D.C.) right now. Good education will allow us to discern right from wrong. The standard Thomas uses when making decisions is "by what authority" is the government/plaintaff exercising its action. One can only answer this question by referring to the Constitution as correctly understood through education. Thus, Thomas spent most of his time discussing the importance of the type of education we ourselves were receiving at Hillsdale.
Today I attended a day long leadership conference for summer interns in D.C. I was not really impressed with many of the presentations to be honest... for a variety of reasons. What I did find interesting however, was a lecture given by a well-connected political operative. He has served as the chief of staff for numerous congressional offices and is currently the vice-president of the grassroots conservative networking group who presented the seminar I attended. Interestingly, he graduated from the Naval Academy with a degree in mechanical engineering! Obviously, he is not working in the field he trained for!
In fact the latest statistics show people change careers 6-8 times and jobs 8-10 times! The speaker revealed how at one point in his career as a congressional chief of staff he only hired English majors because of their writing/thinking skills... even though their "training" was not in political policy. According to this speaker, employers want to hire people based WHO they are, not WHAT they are.
Putting this into conversation with Thomas and the WSJ article makes me very thankful I chose Hillsdale because it helped lead me to liberal education. Referring back to some earlier posts I wrote on liberal education, it seems to matter a lot more today what kind of person you become as a result of your education. Going to college for a job, although the dominant idea of our culture, seems to have serious problems. Developing only one specialized part of your mind, might lead to some serious deficiencies in more important areas. Although I am not nearly as liberally educated as I would like to be, I am thankful that Hillsdale has opened my mind to ideas and principles that DO matter. I'm not sure what job I will be headed into, but this is not the time of my life to worry about a job. It is the time to make myself into the individual God has created me for, and that itself will hopefully prepare me for whatever job I end up in.
First, however, Justice Thomas. If there was one thing Thomas seemed to emphasize, it was to take advantage of our education. It is through education that we learn character, especially traits like honesty. The first step to becoming an honest person is being honest with yourself. Justice Thomas also pointed back to a proper understanding of our founding as a nation as the only way to view the law and the constitution. This education is attained best through a Hillsdale like education... and by being here (in D.C.) right now. Good education will allow us to discern right from wrong. The standard Thomas uses when making decisions is "by what authority" is the government/plaintaff exercising its action. One can only answer this question by referring to the Constitution as correctly understood through education. Thus, Thomas spent most of his time discussing the importance of the type of education we ourselves were receiving at Hillsdale.
Today I attended a day long leadership conference for summer interns in D.C. I was not really impressed with many of the presentations to be honest... for a variety of reasons. What I did find interesting however, was a lecture given by a well-connected political operative. He has served as the chief of staff for numerous congressional offices and is currently the vice-president of the grassroots conservative networking group who presented the seminar I attended. Interestingly, he graduated from the Naval Academy with a degree in mechanical engineering! Obviously, he is not working in the field he trained for!
In fact the latest statistics show people change careers 6-8 times and jobs 8-10 times! The speaker revealed how at one point in his career as a congressional chief of staff he only hired English majors because of their writing/thinking skills... even though their "training" was not in political policy. According to this speaker, employers want to hire people based WHO they are, not WHAT they are.
Putting this into conversation with Thomas and the WSJ article makes me very thankful I chose Hillsdale because it helped lead me to liberal education. Referring back to some earlier posts I wrote on liberal education, it seems to matter a lot more today what kind of person you become as a result of your education. Going to college for a job, although the dominant idea of our culture, seems to have serious problems. Developing only one specialized part of your mind, might lead to some serious deficiencies in more important areas. Although I am not nearly as liberally educated as I would like to be, I am thankful that Hillsdale has opened my mind to ideas and principles that DO matter. I'm not sure what job I will be headed into, but this is not the time of my life to worry about a job. It is the time to make myself into the individual God has created me for, and that itself will hopefully prepare me for whatever job I end up in.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Work and Justice Thomas
Another fascinating update for you all... especially those of you back home reading. Please don't be afraid to leave me comments or shoot me an e-mail. I try my best to stay in touch and/or respond. I am sorry if this post seems like a much of unorganized rambling. It probably sounds like it, because it is going to be. Agh... my writing just goes down the tube when I am not in school.
Exciting news first-- I got to meet Justice Clarence Thomas this morning. Myself and the 30 or so other Hillsdale students interning in D.C. arrived by 7:45am at the Supreme Court building this morning. After Justice Thomas gave a few introductory remarks, he let us ask him a number of questions. He gave a lot of good advice and some of his ideas behind helping restore proper constitutional government. I might blog later on about some of the more specific ideas he shared with us. I want a few days to let it all digest and my mind to process and think about his words.
It was nice to see more Hillsdale people today. After work yesterday, I walked around the mall and visited ole Abe at his memorial. Emily and I grabbed a quick bite to eat at a delicious sandwhich shop before I came home. Today I saw a lot of good friends for the first time in d.c.-- Will, Zach, Liz, and others. It is nice to see familiar faces!
I have begun to settle in at my internship. Keal the friendly staff assistant has been walking me around the tunnels and showing me how to get to places. All the office buildings are connected both to each other and to the Capitol. It is a confusing mess of tunnels and floors which I am still learning how to navigate to get from place to place. Most of it is not accessible to the public which is where my awesome Capitol Hill ID helps me out. I also ate lunch in the Rayburn cafeteria on Monday and it was surprisingly good. The food looks and smells tasty... I wish Hillsdale cafetaria (aka Saga) would learn something from the government.... (that is supposed to be ironic)...
I am also learning how to answer phones, deal with constituent issues, and learning basic office functions like how to make coffee and scanning/making copies. I also get to sit in on staff meetings... including the ones with Congressman Hoekstra. I assume that some meetings are probably off limits but thus far, I have been invited in. I have been assigned to work with our legislative counsel person named Zak on Congressman Hoekstra's Constitutional amendment on parental rights. You can check it out at http://hoekstra.house.gov/parentsrights/. Currently I am compiling a database of names and organizations that might be interested in supporting this bill on a grassroots level. There is little chance of it going anywhere with the Democratic congress and president who all seem to believe an 18 member panel in Geneva is better qualified than you are when it comes to raising your children. But we need to lay the groundwork to fight this nonesense and Congressman Hoekstra is taking the initiative by leading the charge on this legislation.
I think that's about all I've got for now. Tomorrow I will be attending this day long seminar for conservative interns in Arlington. Not sure what to expect, but I get a free lunch and a free dinner :D
Exciting news first-- I got to meet Justice Clarence Thomas this morning. Myself and the 30 or so other Hillsdale students interning in D.C. arrived by 7:45am at the Supreme Court building this morning. After Justice Thomas gave a few introductory remarks, he let us ask him a number of questions. He gave a lot of good advice and some of his ideas behind helping restore proper constitutional government. I might blog later on about some of the more specific ideas he shared with us. I want a few days to let it all digest and my mind to process and think about his words.
It was nice to see more Hillsdale people today. After work yesterday, I walked around the mall and visited ole Abe at his memorial. Emily and I grabbed a quick bite to eat at a delicious sandwhich shop before I came home. Today I saw a lot of good friends for the first time in d.c.-- Will, Zach, Liz, and others. It is nice to see familiar faces!
I have begun to settle in at my internship. Keal the friendly staff assistant has been walking me around the tunnels and showing me how to get to places. All the office buildings are connected both to each other and to the Capitol. It is a confusing mess of tunnels and floors which I am still learning how to navigate to get from place to place. Most of it is not accessible to the public which is where my awesome Capitol Hill ID helps me out. I also ate lunch in the Rayburn cafeteria on Monday and it was surprisingly good. The food looks and smells tasty... I wish Hillsdale cafetaria (aka Saga) would learn something from the government.... (that is supposed to be ironic)...
I am also learning how to answer phones, deal with constituent issues, and learning basic office functions like how to make coffee and scanning/making copies. I also get to sit in on staff meetings... including the ones with Congressman Hoekstra. I assume that some meetings are probably off limits but thus far, I have been invited in. I have been assigned to work with our legislative counsel person named Zak on Congressman Hoekstra's Constitutional amendment on parental rights. You can check it out at http://hoekstra.house.gov/parentsrights/. Currently I am compiling a database of names and organizations that might be interested in supporting this bill on a grassroots level. There is little chance of it going anywhere with the Democratic congress and president who all seem to believe an 18 member panel in Geneva is better qualified than you are when it comes to raising your children. But we need to lay the groundwork to fight this nonesense and Congressman Hoekstra is taking the initiative by leading the charge on this legislation.
I think that's about all I've got for now. Tomorrow I will be attending this day long seminar for conservative interns in Arlington. Not sure what to expect, but I get a free lunch and a free dinner :D
Monday, June 1, 2009
More ramblings...
First day of work went well. I hope to blog sometime this week about the exact work I will be doing this summer. I should have an even better idea after the end of the week.
I did want to blog about the metro and a few other random things. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed riding the d.c. subway system. It is a great place to watch people. It is weird to get on the stops closer to Capitol Hill and see the passengers look a lot like me. Young, college, interns. It is weird to actually be one of those young, college, interns this year. In the midst of the squeaky wheels in the dark underground tunnels of the orange line, I remembered how long I've wanted to be out here for a summer. I'm thankful for the chance.
I work at the Rayburn House office building. Congressman Hoekstra's office is in the corner of the second floor. He gets a nice corner office right by the bathrooms and the elevator because of his seniority and rank on the Intelligence Committee. Rayburn is a hideous building on the inside. No matter where you go, it looks the same. Oh well... The view outside is great. Right there is the US Capitol. Awesomeness.
Three offices down from me is Congrsesman Mike Souder from Indiana. My good buddy James returns next Monday for his second year as an intern for Congressman Souder. Lunch breaks will rock.
That's all for tonight. I will try to continue blogging when I can...
I did want to blog about the metro and a few other random things. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed riding the d.c. subway system. It is a great place to watch people. It is weird to get on the stops closer to Capitol Hill and see the passengers look a lot like me. Young, college, interns. It is weird to actually be one of those young, college, interns this year. In the midst of the squeaky wheels in the dark underground tunnels of the orange line, I remembered how long I've wanted to be out here for a summer. I'm thankful for the chance.
I work at the Rayburn House office building. Congressman Hoekstra's office is in the corner of the second floor. He gets a nice corner office right by the bathrooms and the elevator because of his seniority and rank on the Intelligence Committee. Rayburn is a hideous building on the inside. No matter where you go, it looks the same. Oh well... The view outside is great. Right there is the US Capitol. Awesomeness.
Three offices down from me is Congrsesman Mike Souder from Indiana. My good buddy James returns next Monday for his second year as an intern for Congressman Souder. Lunch breaks will rock.
That's all for tonight. I will try to continue blogging when I can...
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