this spring break is moving towards an inevitable easter weekend... and then another week of school, followed by more weeks of school. (at least, that's my hope. i know it's not the hope of many of my students. but, for me, if school were to stop for good, i'd not take it with a whoop and a cheer.)

but why is easter inevitable? we go round and round on the calendar. it'll be christmas again before we know it (oops, where did summer go?).

joni mitchell calls it "the circle game." but there really are no inevitable resurrections, are there? there are plenty of inevitable deaths and defeats, but what victory is certain?

christian faith suggests that God has brought us here... and God will not leave us stranded in the end. we have a promise. but there are plenty of reasonable and not-so-reasonable arguments against that one, too. we're all so blinkered and blindered, what can any of us know for certain? mystery claims us.

and so we hope. we hope that people we love will stay healthy and happy. we hope that broken marriages won't lead inevitably to broken lives, that broken promises won't inevitably produce bitterness and cynicism. and here we are in the midst of a week during which we concentrate on - even celebrate- brokenness. dylan sings

Broken hands on broken ploughs,
Broken treaties, broken vows,
Broken pipes, broken tools,
People bending broken rules.
Hound dog howling, bull frog croaking,
Everything is broken.
Copyright © 1989 Special Rider Music

.....i don't know what i'm doing here. i wasn't meaning to semonize, but it happens when the brain takes over and tries to drag the heart behind. nevermind....

i've been making good progress with the fine john mcgahern novel. fine, but i won't recommend it because you wouldn't like it. nothing happens. much. but i come not to care after a while. you, however, would care.

and this afternoon i launched into the damn stupid professional portfolio. it will take me a few more days to whip that sucker into shape. i kind of got stuck on "Component 4f: Showing Professionalism." i secretly hope that i'd never be accused of that, but now i've got to show all the many ways that i AM that. yr orkin men are professional. mafia hitmen are professional. george dubya bush and his legions are professional. so it's something that i don't need to be. i much prefer my amateur status, thank you.

observant souls will note some changes to the overall look of brtom.org. i know you don't like it. sorry. the old one got - old. i know you liked the birthdays - so did i. maybe they can come back in some form.

change is good. change is inevitable.

In the Church, considered as a social organism, the mysteries inevitably degenerate into beliefs.

Simone Weil