Grazie (Studenti di) Roma

When I realized that coming up with an idea for my Culture Making project was more difficult than I anticipated I went back to what has in essence created or shared "culture" for me - my blog. I've been able to communicate my thoughts and feelings with everyone at home about places that you and I got to experience and most of them probably never will. I know I was on my own a lot and went just about everywhere by myself, but I hope you all understand that my personality dictates I sometimes sit in my room and reflect on things, that I go out and get to know a place by myself and on my terms, and that I generally seem distant or standoffish. I am distant, when you get right down to it. My mind is always in places I can't describe so well or like most of you now, at home. I hope you also understand that I've been so much more visible and social these past few months than just about any other time since I was a little kid. I do genuinely value each of you as well as the time we've spent together here. It's cliche as can be imagined, but we really never will forget this and you all have greatly impacted (or been impactful on...) my life. It's such a blessing and I hope that we can agree on that and call one another "friend."

I was trying to figure out what to do or say to set this apart from my other posts, but nothing came to mind until class the morning. I know I'm not necessarily the most outwardly religious one amongst us, but some of the "Psalms" we wrote were fantastic and truly moving. What I wrote in mine was my true feelings regarding the last few months and the struggles we're all apparently having getting through the last 9 days now. I think that when I start feeling down or alone or isolated or any of those other things I'll remember my time here, thank God for the blessings He's given me, and maybe say a prayer:




Praise the Lord, you who wonder and wander,
for spirit and imagination are foundation for truth.
Thanks be to God for second sight and further chances
and seeing and believing without the need for proof.
A gentle hand fashioning, a strong hand guiding,
He speaks and shakes each to the core.
He laments the wicked in deed or thought,
those who turn their backs in search of more.
For he spoke and worlds were created,
and knows you make home through your mind and hearts renewed.
You never left His house, though, in all the miles,
the Mighty One, the All-Knowing Son is always there with you.
In the bravest fight or hardest struggle,
in the tears that fell from eyes that watched you go,
in letters from loves abroad and in boundless human want
just what you require, He knows.
Trust and believe, you wanderers, you opportunists,
trust and believe - for you, through you, and in you His love persists.




No one said her name.