Tales from MUNI – The Voracious Reader December 8, 2008

So I get on MUNI last week, Wednesday, I believe. It’s the last day before the break, very excited. Dude gets on @ Carl & Cole. Seems normal. Clean cut, wearing a polo, jeans, tennis shoes. Curiously, however, he’s carrying a trade paperback and it’s missing its cover and the pages are shredded all around the edges so that there’s no margin left. This is curious, I think, but whatever. I notice that as he reads, he begins to tear little shreds off around the margins of the book. Nervous habit, I think. We all have them. Except that he then proceeds to EAT THEM. He started out trying to be subtle about it but by the time we got to the Civic Center Station, he was enjoying a hearty breakfast.

I saw him again this week. He had a glossy graphic novel, untouched by his apparent Pica. Never fear, however. Our hero did not go hungry that morning. How could he, when HE HAS A NOSE. Seriously.

Meh-ry Christmas December 8, 2008

I’ve just not felt very Christmas this year. Before Thanksgiving I was chomping at the bit to listen to Christmas music and I even broke my own rule and busted it out a few days early. I’m still really enjoying my Christmas play list, primarily because I have excellent taste in music. Otherwise, I’m not feeling it. I have been buried at work, buried at church, not doing any of it well, and just freaking exhausted. I was going to do the RevGals Friday Five about Advent but I couldn’t really get into it. I’ve not even wanted a tree. This is not like me. I’ve never not had a tree.

Tonight in church for the first time I felt like I was getting into the whole Advent/Christmas thing. Part of it has to do with the productive weekend I’ve had, I think. Getting caught up on stuff always makes me feel less useless. It was also the singing of Silent Night in church. I love the piano we have in church and that along with the glow of the candles and the mirrored fabric canopy above made for a beautiful moment to stop and think about the season.

Our discussion this evening was peace and comfort. One of the things I noticed is that one can achieve inner peace, there can be peace on earth and there can be peace between people, but comfort comes when one is acted upon relationally. I suppose one can comfort oneself, but that generally devolves into self-medication. I think I started to feel the Christmas tonight because the gathering brought comfort to me, through the music, musicians, word and friends.

Tidings of Comfort and Joy.