Wendi Weekend

Thursday and Friday of this week consisted of us six faithful friends finishing out the 340 minute movie/ documentary called Country Boys about the struggle of young people in Appalachia. It took us three nights total to watch the whole thing. The first night, earlier in the week, the six of us piled onto the the pull out couch in the living room, shared some chocolate milk, guacamole, and laffy taffy, and got involved in the lives of Chris and Cody (the country boys themselves).

Thursday we continued the journey into the lives of these two boys... and Friday after our meeting about the new house on West Park and a celebratory dinner at the tip top, we (tearfully) wrapped it up and ended our relationships with Chris and Cody.

Saturday was a significant and memorable day to say the least. Kelly's sister-friend Wendi was in town from NY and came to stay for the night. We potlucked here with Greg, Jy, and Jonny, and had tacos courtesy of the Clintonville Community co-op. Despite the cold weather, we bundled up, got out our bikes, and hit the city to show Wendi around. We showed her (parts) of Franklinton... and naturally took her to our favorite place, Tip Top. We enjoyed some PBR, good conversation, sweet potato fries, laughter, and love before we headed back to the boys.

We got back and played on the new homemade key-tar as well as dueled with harmonicas in attempts to play Billy Joel's "Piano Man". I was not very good at it, but desperately want to be. We lost a few to sleep shortly after but Greg and I decided to hit up Blake, Nate, and Jon's house warming party... and good thing we did because Patience was drowning without us. We danced around like there was no tomorrow, and the boys even put on Love is a Battlefield to honor our presence. We danced late into the night and I realized I will never be sick of dancing around and looking a fool when music is on because it is so freeing and so joyful.

Dancing might be one of the most soulful things I can do. Dancing with the people you care about most makes it even better. It's spiritual.

I'll leave you with the precious words of Tolstoy in the latest of his essays I am immersed in...

On Anarchy,
" To use violence is impossible; it would only cause reaction. To join the ranks of the Government is also impossible- one would only become its instrument. One course therefore remains- to fight the government by means of thought, speech, actions, life, neither yielding to government nor joining its ranks and thereby increasing its power.

This alone is needed, will certainly be successful. And this is the will of God, the reaching of Christ."

Whew.