Shopping Cart!

Being in the Midwest has its perks. For example, it's humid, so I don't have to pay to go to a sauna, I just have to walk outside. Also, we have some pretty crazy thunder storms. I've already seen two intense ones.

My favorite experience however, occurred on Wednesday evening. It was cold in the morning and quite warm in the afternoon. So by evening time a big thunder cloud had formed on the horizon. My roommate and I were driving into the grocery store parking lot when all of a sudden the wind really picked up. I thought to myself, "Self, this appears to be tornado like weather," which my roommate later confirmed.

Anyway, we were stopped in front of the store when all of a sudden my roommate shouted, "Shopping Cart! Shopping Cart!" I looked at him funny wondering what in the world he was talking about. Then I looked in front of me to see an unmanned, empty shopping cart headed straight toward my cart going at least 10 mph. Seeing as how I didn't want a dent in my new vehicle, I gunned it through the intersection and barely missed being scraped by the unleashed terror on wheels. Apparently, I also narrowly missed being hit by the stop sign as well.

Possibly more unnerving is that we proceeded to park the car, walked inside and completed our grocery shopping with all of the other people in the store. No one seemed too concerned about the storm outside. Kind of crazy...

(There was no tornado by the way)

The Waking

So, I suppose that it's apparent that I'm in Indiana now, and it has been a really good change so far. As I was moving out here though I had words to this amazing poem run through my head almost constantly. I thought that I would share it with you all and I would love to hear your comments on it.

The Waking

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me, so take the lively air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.
What falls away is always. And is near.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I learn by going where I have to go.

T. Roethke