made me smile over breakfast :-)

"New dancing styles should be innovated for the Olympics, but coming up from the streets. So why not replace the boring national anthems for the winners, with each champion choosing their own celebratory song and dance anthem"

(Terry Monaghan 'Grabbing chance through dance', Big Issue No. 865 p.23)

23

I'm 23 today.

wow how 22 has flown. it's been good though. really good.

:-)

"Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God,

that shall be to you better than a light

and safer than a known way"

(written on a plaque on the wall of the cathedral in Windsor Castle)

a week of firsts

first time being a bridesmaid (at Adele and Larry's wedding... probably the best one i've been to so far... SO beautiful and much dancing!)

first time to live with a family that is not my own (yesterday moved in with a family from church for the year... will be a definite change in lifestyle (it's just gone 10pm and bedtime seems quite reasonable!) but a GOOD one i'm thinking)

first time to a festival (that would be BESTIVAL, tomorrow... for which i am not packed... oops. but looking forwards to it!)

life continues at what feels like a pretty non-stop pace. many very good things, but looking forwards to things slowing down soon... i hope soon... :-)

Optimism

By nature optimism is not a view of the present situation but a living power, the power of hope where others are resigned, the power to hold ones head high when everything seems to be going wrong, the power to bear setbacks, the power never to let the future be the enemy but to lay claim to it for oneself.

Bonhoeffer

graduation...

...was a week or two ago now but thought i should say a word or two about it. ok, not should. there is no should. but wanted to. It was a nice day, but, kind of strange. because, nothing during my time at the university of sussex has ever been formal, so it seemed like a bit of a joke when all the professors paraded onto the stage in pantomime style robes. and everyone looked so clean and shiny! the other reason it felt a bit strange was that i only knew about 5 people well there. recognised quite a few and a whole load of them i'd never seen before! so it wasn't quite the teen-movie imagery of celebrating with all your friends with whom you've lived, eaten, studied, suffered, laughed and cried through the past few years. everyone either graduated last year or on a diffferent day because of being in different departments. which was a shame, really. but, it was good to hang out with my parents. and the our new chancellor is Sanjeev Bhaskar, of Kumars at 42 fame... which made it pretty funny. a relief since it lasted 3 hours!! but there we go. done and dusted. I AM NO LONGER A GRADUAND BUT A GRADUATE. SWEEEEEET