Sexy, Innocent Child-Woman

My weekend in Michigan

To all those who left a comment or message on my blog while I was away--Des, Darlene, Laurentina, Mommy Neng, Nang Ethel, Kadyo, Ghie, Ate Malaine, Melai, hgd, i.n., Abster, and Air Milikay, thank you! And thanks to those who visited my blog, but didn't leave a note. Hope Churchill (Nang Ethel's four-legged boy) entertained you and kept you company.

I had a quiet but refreshing weekend in Michigan. The trains I took to Grand Rapids and back to Chicago got delayed, but I still enjoyed myself. I had a nice long talk with Sr. K, and it helped me resolve some issues I've been facing over the past couple of months. She also gave me sound advice about some life choices I've been discerning for some time.

I ended up doing some "career counseling" on spur of the moment the day I arrived in Grand Rapids. I talked to Emily, a sweet young lady who will be going to college next fall. She is part of the (bell) choir at Marywood (the name of the convent), and she had mentioned to Sr. K that she was considering majoring in Sociology, but she wasn't quite sure about the job opportunities available in the field. So Sr. K referred her to me. Sr. K invited her, as well as their other friends, for supper, on Saturday night, and Emily came an hour early so we could talk. I asked her about her interests, and it turned out she has had a lot of volunteer experience at her age. The fit between her interests and the discipline of Sociology was evident. Her face lit up when I told her about the different options available to her if she were to major in Sociology--especially when I talked about international development work. She also asked me about how I ended up in this field, what I'm studying and specializing in, and all that nerdy stuff. It turned out that she will be taking a college course in the Spring--the same class I'm teaching this semester and next semester. I had brought some textbooks with me (so I could do some reading on the train), so I showed them to her. Again, her face lit up as she pored over the books to figure out the issues she would most likely be studying in her class. Her enthusiasm was contagious. (Oops. "Teacher mode" na naman ako.)

We watched a play called "Godspell" at Aquinas College later that evening. It was a good performance, and it nearly moved me to tears. I even heard some people sniffling behind me. After we got home, Sr. K and I ended up talking till 2AM. Haha, pinuyat ko siya.

On Sunday, I joined the sisters for mass. One of the reasons why I enjoy visiting Marywood over and over again is because of their liturgy. I love the way they use inclusive language, and the way they have co-pastors (where one of the sisters stands at the altar with the priest during key parts of the liturgy, like the breaking of the bread). I also like the way some sisters give the homily ("preaching," in Dominican parlance). I value gender sensitivity in prayer and liturgy, and the nuns I visited are at the forefront of this.

After the mass, Sr. C, who lives with Sr. K, gave me a tour of their new health care facility. I enjoyed visiting with some of the elderly nuns--especially Sr. D, who walked around with a stuffed animal and showed us her room, where two other stuffed animals were tucked snugly into bed. It was really something when she "introduced" me to her stuffed animals. She pointed to a stuffed bear on her bed and told me: "That's my brother." When asked about the "identity" of the stuffed animal she was holding, Sr. D. replied: "This is my mother." I suddenly remembered my late grandmother. Before she passed away, my Lola had a polar bear, whom she referred to as her "boy." She kept her "boy" beside her at all times--when she ate, slept, and so forth.

The rest of the day was pretty low-key. We watched a DVD (The Interpreter), after which Sr. K introduced me to a game called Sudoku. Some of the sisters from the nearby apartments had dinner, so I enjoyed meeting and chatting with them. After the other sisters left, we watched TV, then headed to bed. And that was my weekend. I was happy to relax and hang out with the nuns.

I hit the ground running when I came back here yesterday. My train was 45 minutes behind schedule, so I freaked out because I had only enough time to prepare for class. I did the readings for my class and prepared my lecture notes (which were handwritten, since I didn't bring my ancient computer) on the train. I had to take a cab from Union Station to my school to save time, and I continued my notetaking in the cab, which must have been quite a sight. Anyhow, I got to campus 45 minutes before my class. I gave a lecture without any hitches. (THANK GOD!) For some reason, I felt even more prepared yesterday, even if I had just gotten back from an out-of-town trip. Maybe I should go out of town more often..not!

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Take care, everyone. Have a great week ahead.

found herself @ 12:38 AM