On the resolutions of conflict...

I am extremely tired as I write this, as I've had a couple of really long days lately. We've had this mandatory conflict resolution training at work, so I've had to go to that in the mornings and still go to work later on. On top of that, the training was at the main campus quite a ways from our cozy little satellite campus, so it's been a commute and a half. (Only to endure a two hour staff meeting, but thankfully we keep it pretty informal...I love those people) I found that it was mostly common sense stuff that we all know, but of course in the heat of the moment under pressure it all goes out the window. So I suppose it's good to review that stuff. We also got some really nice official-looking diploma certificates for "graduating", so that's always a plus. That, and I can always de-escalate anxious behaviour with my supportive, nonjudgmental stance, among other things. Just another weapon in the arsenal, baby...

Day seven, somewhere in the jungle

Day seven (I think)...food and water running low...I can hear them out there, closing in...I can still hear Bobby's screams in the night...ok, I'm really just sitting in one of Longwood Gardens' greenhouses amongst some exotic flora, but the jungle story sounded more compelling.

The Hershiest place on earth

On the way back from Pennsylvania, we ran out of money and were forced to take entry level jobs on the Hershey product line to earn our keep home. Actually, not really, but this is an interesting part of the Hershey factory tour. The entire town of Hershey lives, breathes, and (I would imagine) eats chocolate. There's even a Hershey theme park, where this little section of the Hershey's Kisses assembly line is. It's actually kind of hard to pack those Kisses with any degree of accuracy and efficiency, so I can't imagine how you'd do this on a daily basis. The Kisses just keep coming, and you've got to be on your toes to keep up. But you do get to keep what you pack, so that's always a plus.

Remembering the fallen

Civil wars are one of the worst kinds of war (not that any degree of war is good per se) but when brother turns against brother families, homes, entire states can be torn right down the middle. Those kinds of scars can takes years, even decades, to heal if at all. You can see this kind of representation all over the grounds of Gettysburg National Military Park. Each state involved has erected various memorials to their respective fallen sons, although there are also plenty of collective monuments as well. This particular one is courtesy of Ohio, I believe.

Pomp and circumstance

Sadly, this is the one of the better photos that survive my grad. The rest are all muddled crowd shots with far too many people in them or blurry, indistinct images. At any rate, my time at this fine institution took me through some of the best and the worst times of my life. I am rightfully proud of the many achievements I accomplished while there, even if many of them were in fields not directly related to what I am actually doing now. I am also glad that I met so many wonderful people while I was there, even if we do not keep in touch so much now. This is something that I should rectify. The circles in which we travel are not so large as one might think, and life's roads can lead to strange convergence.

Four score and seven years ago...

This photo doesn't have the best composition, but what's important is the sign and the information it conveys, not me. I know that history lies all around us and so much of it lies forgotten when no one is left who cares to remember, but there is definitely an air of gravitas around the places that we do choose to remember. There is a palpable aura of memory around these places, and I felt it at Gettysburg. I've also felt it in Europe, and I don't usually sense it so much in North America. I did feel it here on this day.

One last hurrah

I stayed home my last semester at university because I was just putting some finishing touches on the last few courses, but I did go back to march for convocation. It was definitely a bittersweet return for a variety of reasons, since I spent a sizable chunk of my life at this place. I have a lot of memories here, not all of which are pleasant. Well, some of the most pleasant ones used to be and aren't anymore, more's the pity. At any rate, I like this photo. I think it sums up all the melancholy and introspection of moments wasted, of roads not taken, and bittersweet regrets all in one neat little pictorial package.