leisure

Normally I hate writing about the events in my life. However, I have had some wonderful wholesome evenings of late. Last night was storytime at Left Behind Books with David Sedaris. He read some new stories, one unpublished and one published in last week's New Yorker. Of course, my favorite part tends toward the audience's questions when you really get to see the speaker at his or her most dynamic (or insufferable, I suppose). Definitely could see that his sense of humor was genuine.

Tonight, three of us went to the church dinner and eucharist for grad students/young professionals. Paster John conducted an evening service with a shortened service. Following the eucharist (which we administered to each other), we had dinner and then concluded the service. The notion of literally mixing the communion and fellowship with God and each other was not novel, but certainly appealing after a long day of work.

I think that these activities keep me sane and keep me focused. I've often asked myself what the good life is. The answers in freshman IPHS and the surrounding discussion of the philosopher-king never appealed to me. Nor do I care for the picture of lounging and eating all day. No, I prefer to work hard doing the day on something that I genuinely enjoy and then go home and indulge the other side of me, the cultural earnest Midwestern Lutheran who loves baseball and a good Ian McEwan or Michael Chabon book. Here in St. Louis it's hard sometimes to find others who desperately love the non-science as much as they love the science. Yet for me, the privilege and the ability to embrace both sides of the coin whole-heartedly is redeeming.

Because oooh, HP and the HBP comes out on July 16th!