What a day

.


Today Pope John Paul II had a flu relapse and was sent to the hospital, where he underwent a tracheotomy which, as far as we know, went successfully. He is 87, and he hasn't been doing so well lately.
I woke up early this morning to register for my courses for spring term, and while browsing through what was available I got distracted and decided to check out the top headlines for the day (I don't get the paper). I saw a headline that announced that the Pope was hospitalized and instantly got a knot in my stomach.
This feeling that washed over me, not so much of sorrow as it was a peculiar sense of distress, was nothing I would have anticipated. Of course, I was raised Catholic, so there is still a certain attachment to what the Pope stands for, but I have lost faith over the years. I guess I would fret over any 87 year old in such a condition, especially a guy as charming as John Paul II, but I think it goes beyond that.
There is so much grief in the world, and despite the Catholic church, the Pope is a symbol of faith, purity and sanctuary that inspires people to live well, it gives them something/someone to trust. It makes them smile. What a thing to lose.
Whether it was prayer, God's will or the simple fact that John is, how should I say...pretty damn hardcore...I'm glad he's still with us. Viva Giovanni Paolo II!
Also, I found out today whilst trekking through the Student Rec Center to my (kick-ass) Jeet Kune Do class, that a junior at Grant High School (which I equally love/loathe from my own ever-distant high school days in Portland) collapsed and died last night during a basketball match agaist Madison HS. I guess he was sitting on the bench when he broke down, they rushed him to the hospital and he was soon after pronounced dead. His name was Elliot Barnett and he was an aquiantence of many of my younger brothers good friends who also attend Grant. I believe he was 17.
This event, to me, was also quite disheartening considering the boy's age. After 17 years, real life begins to come into the periphery, the experiences are more tangible and understood, potential becomes evident...though he may have passed only having dealt with the artificial politics of high school and childhood (of course I, myself can't know this for certain), it is very hard to see someone go, for those who knew and loved him, at such an age. So it goes.
On a less dismal note, I am beginning to organize my plans to study abroad next year. The idea I have as of now is that I will spend fall term in Macerata, Italy, winter term in either Amsterdam or London, and possibly spring term at Simon Frasier University near Vancouver, BC in Canada. Yes, that would be more than fansastic. I also got the vibe from my mother that my parents would be all for it...so either that means they don't want to see me for a whole year or they're excited about the opportunity for me to do something they know I have wanted to do for a long while now. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the latter.
To make sure that these aspirations won't cripple my plans to successfully graduate with my dual major on time, I have decided to bite the bullet and take 20 credits this coming term. So far I am taking Philosophy of Film, Reproduction and Development (bio), Development (psych), US Politics and I'm finishing up my second year of italian. I think that should do.
Other than that, I haven't much more to share with you today...I have been researching the concept of Cascadia in light of recent topics of discussion in my Social and Political Philosophy class. In a nutshell, it is the proposition that the Pacific Northwest (namely Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, CAN) should break away and form their own little republic. Yes, I know...it is a splendid and remarkable idea, but not flawless. It's an interesting concept to ponder, and I will share my thoughts on it sometime in the near future. For now, I have bigger fish to fry. Literally.
Thanks for stopping by and, for christ'sake...take care of yourself.