Arvo Pärt and White Wine

We had a "snow day" of sorts today--9:30 Old Testament was cancelled.

My 5 meetings, however, were not, and the last one (held in the Law School) ended at 9 pm.  Due to snow, I was unable to walk or drive downtown as normal, so I took a shuttle to and from the Law School.

When there is no sun and the snow blows around in little pellets, you cover your face with a hat and use an umbrella for a shield.  Walking back and forth to the Divinity School in this kind of weather requires placing one foot in front of the other and looking only a few feet ahead at a time.

Back home, I am unwinding with some Arvo Pärt and white wine.  The day hasn't been particularly stressful, but I need it.  My stomach has also been upset all day (thankfully, food has stayed down), so I figure the wine will help settle things.

Racial tensions at school have calmed down, but it also (unfortunately) means that activism has gone away.  It's as if the snow has blanketed everybody into a fresh layer of whiteness.

With Lunar New Year in progress, I am reveling in being neither white nor black--but a liminal and ambiguous in-between.  We feasted on dumplings and hot pot yesterday, students from all over the world--Iran, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, America, and the UK.  I haven't eaten so happily in a while!

After the feast, I stopped by a Super Bowl party, hosted by my wonderful friend who is Latino.  It's nice to have other friends who aren't part of the binary, and to experience this strange thing that is America with other voices for whom things aren't black and white.

Work is rolling along, and I'm also gearing up for my presentation at the Institute of Sacred Music on Wednesday.  I have the best load of classes yet this semester, and couldn't be more pleased.  Life is good, and I'm content.

29 saw me growing bold and busy.  30 has me settling into rest and comfort, and feeling like I've somehow "earned" it.

And so life goes on, liltingly, like Arvo Pärt's music, and cooly down the throat like white wine that's been refrigerated.