Everyday Events

This morning started out about the same as most days here in London. With my tiny little watch producing enough sound to wake me up. Not the gentle waking up that's preferred, but I guess it's just doing its job. After convincing myself, as I do everyday, that I must actually get out of bed to get something accomplished for the day, I geared up for the long walk down the stairs to the kitchen, and ultimately, breakfast.

And I mean gear up. Wow, it gets cold in this creaky, aged house. There are so many cracks in this house its almost as if the cool, damp air whispers at you to get up in the mornings. So i stuffed on my house shoes, which fit perfectly, like a sock but yet so much more comfortable. And the key in this whole gearing up is the sweatshirt. You must have the sweatshirt.

So I ambled down the stairs, taking note of the grey-sky backdrop from the window as I passed by, giving me another reminder that yes I am living in England and not Alabama. There was a chilly desolateness in the sky this morning, and the trees seemed so locked in slumber that even the wind could not wake them up with enough strong gusts.

Breakfast was good as usual, a nice start to a new day. Fills the stomach and gets me going. I feel like I am rediscovering breakfast this semester, because it's been a long time since I've been in a routine of eating breakfast every morning. I really like it. I realized how much I miss when I stay up too late and can't be awake in the mornings. There's a certain quietness in the mornings that you just don't get at any other time of day.

After breakfast it was almost time for class, which was pretty interesting today, a whole 2 hours on modernism as it relates to literature. I found myself coming in and out of the conversation, sort of like a having the news on and paying attention to only the highlights. I mean it was interesting, but i just couldn't quite focus on all the tiny detals or else I would get lost and not find my way to the bigger themes. I think that's what usually happens when I listen to people. I have to train myself to listen to the general theme, because I get caught up in lines and wordings that particularly interest me, and before long the speaker has left but I am still behind inspecting what has been left behind. I guess I'm like that kid in class who can't keep up with the group on field trips.

Once class finished I came back to my room, the tiny piece of property that I can call my own for these few short months. And it really is a wonderful thing to have this tiny spice. I can put on whatever music I am particualy keen to (right now it's lots of Rich Mullins and Andrew Peterson) and just be. Sometimes I like to open the curtains a little wider than I normally allow them to be and prop my feet up and read. Other times I'll just listen to the music, browsing websites that I enjoy reading. It's just a good space to be comfortable in.

And that's about everything in my day so far, as it is almost lunchtime and my stomach is rumbling like only it does for a 21 year old hungry, growing student. Maybe next time I write I'll pause a little longer on the influence of Rich Mullins and Andrew Peterson on my growing and evolving faith.

But I've got a life to live today, and tasks to be completed.

mark.