Exams, Puppets, and Liquid Nitrogen

The sun is shining and it's a beautiful 63F outside! So far I've managed to bruise my ankle, jam my toe into the metal square bedframe (WHO DESIGNED THAT?!), smash my finger in a drawer, run out of liquid nitrogen, and take an exam. Honestly, the exam was the highlight of my morning but it will get better. Instead of reading for my research ethics course, I'm going to write to y'all instead since I didn't have time this weekend!

Whether one is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, religious or nonbelieving, man or woman, black, white or brown, we are all the same. Physically, emotionally, and mentally we are all equal. We all share basic needs for food, shelter, safety, and love. We all aspire to happiness and we all shun suffering. Each of us has hopes, worries, fears, and dreams. Each of us wants the best for our families and our loved ones. We all experience pain when we suffer loss and joy when  we achieve what we seek. On this fundamental level, religion, ethnicity, language, and culture make no difference. -Dalai Lama XIV

Adopt the pace of Nature. Her secret is patience.

Last Friday night was "Late Night at the Wall" where there some mini competitions of speed climbing and bouldering. My friend, Emma, joined me and we had a lot of fun. By the way, I'm so close to being able to take the belay test - I would have been able to take it already if I would have remembered to get the card punched when I was there. Sometimes my brain is not with me. I really love delaying myself in such a way :)  So, I went climbing 4 in the past 5 days...love it. 

"I don't want to write about climbing; I don't want talk about it; I don't want to photograph it; I don't want to think about it; all I want to do is do it."    — Chuck Pratt.

Saturday, Emma and I went to a puppet/play at the Art Museum in Raleigh. So it wasn't puppets but people dressed up as animals and using a bunch of cardboard cutouts...I'll just show you pictures. It was called "Invisible Earth" which was put on by Paperhand Puppet Intervention. Phenomenal!! I was sitting by a lady with her grandson (maybe 4 or 5) and he said, "This is the part where we are killing the trees and we need to do something to help them!" Brilliant child - it's amazing how youngsters can pick up things like that! The show was about evolution, how the earth is adapting, climate change, and observing Earth. What a great way to spend the evening!!

How man became powerful

Use our power to rise up and protect Earth

Now with my exams done, I'm going to have so much time to do whatever I want! Look out Nature - here comes Megan!! Actually, wait, there is a problem. If I disappear into Nature myself, I may never come back to civilization. Then there is the second problem, I can't find another Nature geek to play in the forest and mountains with. Where is Kiley when I need her? Oh, she's 989 miles away. Guess I'll just put an ad in the paper!!

If I can find this path, I'd walk down it forever.

When I was at the Kadampa Center, Geshe-la was talking about our true nature. This quote struck me: "We are the earth looking back at itself."