An Old School Blog Post

So many thoughts have been buzzing around my head as I've been leading up to writing this post.  Now that I'm sitting to actually do it, it's harder than I imagined to catch my flying ideas.

If you hear me say I'm extremely introverted, call me on it.  Jung himself said that if someone was completely introverted or completely extroverted they would be an insane person.  Last night I took a brief personality test that said I was less extroverted than most people and that I was a split between introverted and extroverted.  That sounded more on the mark than other tests and my own words that have painted me of a more full force introvert.  Today I went to volunteer.  Let me back up; Sundays can be hard. I forced myself out today. And it felt great to interact with other people.

I went to a Limmud volunteer meeting.  At first I stuffed envelopes at a table with a few other people, and that was okay.  The there was a request to assist with a poster. They wanted a picture of a camera.  I drew the camera. Then they wanted a Shabbat Shalom enhanced with some pictures.  I added challahs and candles and a kiddush cup.  I got positive feedback and then spruced up all of the signs that had been made. Feedback was good and I started chatting with some of the people.  It turns out that the kids of the president of this whole thing went to my school.  And the woman in charge of the posters is the mother of a recently graduated student of my school.  It took me a minute to place the name and to start naming his closest friends.  Then I said hi to a nice fellow who runs hikes and hosts get togethers.  As we were talking a young woman came over and said, I don't know if you remember me, but..." She was my student in public speaking and is involved in reaching out to high school and college kids for Limmud.  We had a great talk. Then I left feeling good, and happy that I was part of something.

Earlier today a dear old friend called me from Israel and we had a good talk.  He thought of me because he was thinking of a student of mine who's now in my friend's school.  I'm honored and touched that my friend calls me from time to time. People say he doesn't call anyone.  Honestly, I don't call him. I'm grateful that he calls me, and in particular that he called me today.

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It's been a while since I started this post in Barnes and Noble.  I've been reading and writing here.  Had some issues with the internet. I've lost some of the excited euphoria that I had a couple of hours ago when I walked over here on the heels of the Limmud volunteer meeting.  I'm hungry and thirsty and if you know the punchline of the joke that starts like that, yeah- I'm worried about that too, poo, poo poo.

I got a little out of the writing zone that I got into before and want to go back in. I love writing.  it's a passion.  So is learning, reading, studying, anything related to this category.  So what to write about?  Let's see what flows.

I told my dad recently that I missed being part of his Bayside community and he asked me what I meant.  What I meant, which is what I told him, is that for the last bunch of years I had aroutine of going to him every third Shabbos or so.  And I re-connected with the community.  If you search the words "you can't go home again" withing this blog you'll find entries about many of my visits that lasted from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon.  They happened about every three weeks, on at least one occasion they happened two weeks in a row. I miss going home again.  Big time.

I was going to write more about what life has felt like since it took a surprising turn back in May.  I was going to write more about my day, may past week, my upcoming week.  I was going to write about my inner feelings.  I'm too hungry for that.  Or maybe I'm just misunderstanding or misdirecting my hunger.

I love sightseeing/book-finding here in B&N.  It's a shame they're probably all going to close in the upcoming years.  But then again it kind of serves B&N right.  They put all the homey little bookstores and now the online world, compared to whom these mega-stores are homey and little, are going to snuff out Barnes & Noble.

I may buy the latest copy of Image.The opening editor's essay references an essay of years ago by Dana Gioia and one by Image's editor.  I recall both pieces. I want to take them in again and maybe write about them.  The theme is poetry and writing and religious poetry and writing and old days versus the presend, etc.

I really need to get some foof in me soon...

Three books that caught my eye on the shelves are Cut Me Loose by Leah Vincent, That Part Was True by Deborah McKinlay, and Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole Diaries (also another book by that author called The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year).

I just looked up That Part Was True on Goodreads.This review convinced me not to impulse buy it.  But mayvbe I should buy that potato peel book...

This was a perfectly pleasant story about a man and a woman and their correspondence about life and food and how it gives both of them the strength to make the changes they need to make in their lives. I saw a lot of comparisons to The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society, but there was nowhere near that same depth. It was cute but forgettable. Recommended for people who like books with pretty covers.

It is a pretty cover.

I want to write some of the Torah I heard this Shabbos, and over some past Shabboses that I haven't written about.  Rabbi Nissan Alpert said that maybe Moshe's name is left out of Tetzaveh (which includes the command to light this world) specifically to teach that you don't have to be a Moshe to light up the world.  Rabbi Marc Angel cited Rabbi Moshe Lichtenstein who contrasted the tzitz and the choshen. One is solidg gold and singular and is worn on the head.  The other is soft and has many compartments and categories in it and is worn on the heart. On the one hand we have one faith, and the other hand we have many ways of actualizing that faithful life.  Rabbi Angel cited Rabbi Avraham ben HaRambam, who said that it's doubly assur to believe something only on the basis of who said it.  He said it's assur min HaTorah and assur based on sechel...

I must get some food in me. I feel like it's been a while since I did this kind of a blog post.  I'm so glad I did.