"Life is a workshop, not an art gallery"

"A meeting such as this seems like a beautiful cluster of precious jewels -- pearls, rubies, diamonds, sapphires. It is a source of joy and delight. Whatever is conducive to the unity of the world of mankind is most acceptable and praiseworthy; whatever is the cause of discord and disunion is saddening and deplorable. Consider the significance of unity and harmony." Abdu'l-Baha
This morning's devotional was absolutely amazing. One of the Baha'i students read this quote and it was so fitting. And in my head, I thought, "We are all jewels, it's true. I think I want to be a pearl, or maybe a ruby." And someone else said that she always loved sapphires. Bottom line, it was beautiful, and it brought a new joy to the devotions. We sang, we listened to someone else sing, we meditated while a beautiful flautist (also spelled flutist, but I like this spelling better) performed, and then we had good food and enjoyed each others' company. I love having amazing people over to pray in my living room. It doesn't get much cooler than that. Though, as our host at the DC Congress reminded us, "It only gets better!" And indeed it will, because in 42 hours, my topology take home is due and I will be officially done with my first semester in graduate school! And so what am I doing now? Working on my take home? I think not. I seem to have lost all momentum. Which is not good. All I want to do right now is get in my car and go home. I've never had such a magnetic draw to South Carolina before. Sure, I was excited about going home for fall break, but this is totally different. There's something pulling me back there. Something about being back in the South, back where people have known me for forever. My friends, my Baha'i community, my family. Back in my childhood room, sharing a bathroom with my sister, waking up every morning and seeing my mom and my dad. Going to Moe's and Marble Slab. That'll be nice. And then going to the beach, spending relaxing days walking on the beach, sitting on the patio talking, playing cards, watching movies, playing in Charleston, spending those precious moments with my family. It will be oh so delightful. But even before that, I get to drive down the country all by myself. For some reason, I'm really looking forward to this. I've never driven this far by myself, I feel like it's sort of a rite of passage. I'll have a great book on CD and will just drive. And I get to stop whenever I want :). And I can sing, pray, dance, think, laugh, or scream, because no one will be able to hear me :). There's something very freeing about being in a car by yourself.
But first, I have to finish off this silly take home. I spent a good deal of time on it yesterday, I was supposed to do that today, and the evening is wide open. Tomorrow, I get to host my first Feast in my own home. I've hosted many at my parents home, even one at the brand new Columbia Baha'i Center, but there's something different having it in my own place.
These are random thoughts, but that's true Corinne style. And by the way, if you haven't heard Corinne Bailey Rae, you really should, at least just because she has a fabulous name :). I'm thoroughly enjoying her CD right now. B gave it to me when she was here visiting, which was absolutely amazing. I got to show her all around Ithaca. We climbed the Cascadilla gorge, and it was so beautiful. It had snowed the night before, so there was a light dusting on the leaves. And icicles had started forming. And we had a camera. So we were being silly and artistic, as we tend to do when there's a camera involved :).
Well, I guess the procrastination should come to an end. Time to produce a deformation retraction, a homeomorphism, and an isomorphism before computing a fundamental group. Doesn't that sound thrilling?