Letters // It's a Fine, Fine Life 5

Hey, there!  You know how I keep only ever showing up on Tuesdays?  Sorry about that.  I promise life's been busy - not like yours hasn't been or that "busyness" is any kind of decent excuse, but just know that it isn't you.  It's me.  As long as we're going with the "busyness" excuse, though, (however flimsy and illegitimate it may be), can I tell you what I've been up to?

Thanks. 

I've taken a two A.P. tests, and I'm still here, and I think I did well.  Is it weird that the Comp / Lit test made me want to read more?  I don't think I'm allowed to tell you what book was excerpted from for portions of the test, but it was the prettiest thing ever and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. 

Studying outside with Eddie made things so much easier!

My feet have spent their fair share of time pounding the track, usually in half-mile races.  My time hasn't gone down since a meet a few weeks ago, but, at the least, I have a distinct shoe tan line to show for my work. 

I've learned that the only good running picture is one taken from a good long distance away.  This one qualifies. 

My Brickbreaker high score (as in, the game that came with your Blackberry) is up about 7000 points.  A friend recently got a new phone, and so I've got loan of his dinosaur Blackberry and all its Brickbreaker capabilities for as long as I can stand it.  I'd be ashamed of the time I've spent doing something with absolutely no ultimate value, but I'm having to much fun. 

All and any spare moments are spent with Hannah Brencher's If You Find This Letter.  I wrote about starting it here, and I become more glued to her words the further in I get. Of course, the way in which Hannah's memoir is written is enough for me to wring everything I can out of it - so much writing-lust!  The story's beautiful by all appearances, to be sure, but a little more dirt under the fingernails reveals that the inside is just as good.  Hannah's walk is inspiring, which sounds cliche but is 100 percent true, as cliches are a lot of times.  

Without giving up every detail, Hannah's story involves invading New York City with love letters - at the heart, she was fresh out of college and lonely and responded to the emptiness in the best way possible.  The result? Letters left on just-abandoned subway seats or on the table at Starbucks or wedged between library book pages, addressed to whoever might find them and offering love in return for being unfolded.  What she started has become a big, big deal - check out moreloveletters.com. 

I think Hannah and I'd get along, because I've always kind of had a thing for letters.  I loved writing pen pals as a kid.  I was the one who'd scribble for pages and pages and was never content to fill an envelope with one sheet of paper - I'd cram in candy, photos, friendship bracelets.  These days, writing is what I do when I've got something to say that's too important to risk messing up the way I tend to with my mouth.  Letters of "I'm sorry" and "you won't believe what I did" and "I miss you" find their way to the people I care about.  There are letters that are only ever seen by me, the ones to God that help me figure things out.  

Whether it's because of Hannah or my natural tendencies, I've been doing my best to keep the U.S. Postal Service busy this week.  Months-late responses to family that's strewn across the country are finally on their way.  The icing on the cake:  an envelope covered in colored pencil hearts from my darling 6-year-old cousin.  Her little-kid cursive scrawls out "I love you" at least four times throughout.  Beautiful, right?  That's why I like letters.

As I'm writing and writing away, I think I get Hannah a little bit.  I've never moved to New York City almost completely by myself and struggled with existential problems like what my purpose is, but I sure feel lonely and a little far-off sometimes.  I definitely don't like thinking that I'm missing a chance to connect with people who I know to be wonderful.  So, I'm writing letters and pulling them closer around me.  Oh, it's good.  People are so cool! 

Every Tuesday, I'm writing about why life is good, because sometimes it's not and so its important to focus on the ways that it is.  I'd love for you to join me!  Here's how. 

1.  Write your post about why it's a fine, fine life.  Anything falling under that category goes! 

2.  Link back to me in your post so that your readers can find the link up.  Add this button!

3. Copy the link to your post and add it to the link up using the gadget I'll have in my post each Tuesday. For more information about how to participate, click here or email me at alikat397@gmail.com. 

4. Check out some of your fellow bloggers' posts!  I love reading what you write, and I think you'll enjoy the people you meet here. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Cheers!


Allie