strangers and all things that are good.

First off, it is one of the best things to exchange smiles with a stranger on campus. Or just anywhere. 

Also delightful when random stranger stops you and asks for your number. I'm not bragging. THISNEVERHAPPENSTOME. Hilarious. Made my day. What didn't make my day was the fact he was shorter than me. :/ Eh. Counts for something!

Another thing I'd like to bring to your attention: we work waaay too much in our society. In one of my classes we've been discussing how America needs to take back it's time and slooooow down. And whenever we do something leisurely we feel guilty because we feel like we're not being productive. 

Let me tell you something. By law, people in Europe get AT LEAST four weeks of vacation per year. America? One. One lousy week. Guess who is more productive? Youuuu guessed it. 

Let's have some commentary on a few quotes in my textbook, shall we?

"Even the majority of slaves in the ancient world and serfs during the Middle Ages did not work as hard, as regularly, or as long as we do."

WAT. All these years I thought that serfs and peasants and things worked like crazy. Nope, that's us.

"If you want your dreams to grow, take your time, go slowly,

Do few things but do them well, simple gifts are holy."

Amen and amen. Simplicity my friends. That is what makes you savor.

"There is a teaching we call Shabbat ('Sabbath') and comes from the Hebrew verb for pausing or ceasing. In Exodus 20:8-11, the reason given for the Sabbath is to recall Creation; in Deuteronomy 5:12-15, it is to free all of us from slavery."

How cool is that? I love the phrase "recall Creation." Why do you think it's called REcreation? Because we are recreating something and using our gift to create.

"Human life is primarily qualitative. It consists of thinking, knowing, communing, loving, serving, and giving rather than in having or enjoying. Its supreme demand is that we should know more and love more, and that we should strive to know the best that is to be known and to love the best that is to be loved."

Just beautiful. The book continues to describe how we work in order to have or enjoy. Really, working should just be a means to leisure. Beautiful. This is like the worst predicament for American society. We could even get out of debt if we worked 6 hours! Think about it. And we would have a better sense of community. And less depression. Less expectations of ourselves. Less all things that are bad.

We can talk more deeply about it sometime if you like. I'd love to.

Now, all things that are good: