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Blog

Until I'm less busy and lazy (don't hold your breath), I'm going to make this page a general blog for whatever I'm thinking about, or whatever I feel like writing about. Maybe if you read it you'll feel closer to me. That'd be nice, if you don't smell.

Oh, and feel free to comment in italics if you like.

Or head back to the JonnyMeyer main page.

1. 4.13.06 -- Good times

Life is good. I went to a really awesome Ben Folds concert last night at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. It was a smallish venue, which was nice, and I swear that Ben Folds is the best live performer that I know. He just works the crowd so well, it's incredible. He even threw his stool at his piano when he was done -- that's so hardcore. Ask me more and I'll tell you some good stories.

Also, today is an incredibly beautiful day. It's like 76 degrees, sunny and breezy. Oh, and my classes are officially done for the semester. All I have to do now is take some finals next week and finish some projects. And as a bonus, I found out that I have a job for the summer after all, so maybe I'll be able to pay for all my future traveling plans. All in all, it's been a good day.

2. 4.10.06 -- Tired and relieved

I'm about ready to fall over. Not literally, but kinda figuratively speaking. I've been writing papers for 14 out of the past 25 hours. Sick, I know. I wrote a research paper on the Dutch Reformed Church and the development of apartheid, and a book review of a book with a similar topic by John W. de Gruchy, and a speech on recycling for Oral Comm class. So I haven't gotten much sleep recently, and I've been tired and exhausted. Now I want to relax and sleep. Unfortunately, I still have quite a bit of reading to catch up on, so I should do that. Maybe after one game of Madden...

3. 4.4.06 -- Maybe the semester isn't over yet

I just realized today that I've entirely lost my motivation to finish this semester. Once planning for next fall began and I signed up for classes last week, I've decided that this semester should be over. I'm ready for my classes next fall, and I'm tired of my current classes. So I end up watching Buffy and Angel and playing Madden 2005 instead of doing my homework. Consistently. Like for the past 2 weekends, and most of the nights in between. Which is nice, but I'm once again way behind in my homework, and I don't even feel motivated to do it. That's the worst, and it's not supposed to happen to me.

J. Denny Weaver spoke here at GC yesterday morning and evening. I can't decide if he's brilliant, or anti-semitic. Maybe a little of both. His whole view of the Old Testament as culminating in Jesus seems to strip some of the power out of the OT as a standalone section of the Bible. Perhaps he's missing something, but he's also got some great ideas about the nature of God. In general, I think he's doing the same thing as most pacifist Mennonites (namely, trying to ignore or discredit any accounts of God condoning violence in the OT), but he's willing to admit what he's doing publicly, so he takes the flak for it.

If I ever publish a scholarly article or something, I think I'd sign it as J. Alan Meyer. So maybe I should save myself the trouble later and just start going by J. Alan Meyer now. Who can argue with the tradition of theologians with the first initial of J? Not me...

4. 3.31.06 -- Too many big decisions

So I feel like I have a million big life choices to make right now, and I can't decide what I want to do. I mean I'm guessing that life always feels a little bit like this, but I like planning ahead. I want to know what's coming. On the plus side, I'm really excited about my future, in general. I mean, that's as specific as I can get because I can't make any decisions, so that's all I know now.

One thing I have decided (for now) is that I want to go to the Oregon Extension in the fall of 2007. So that's a while off, but if I plan on it then maybe it'll actually finally happen. I can't go this fall because I added a history major and I need to take Junior Seminar this fall. But the plan is that if I take Bible Senior Seminar this fall (of my Junior year) then I can go to OE next fall and be a happy person. Money may be an issue, but I won't let that stop me. My parents are filthy rich and they're always excited to share their money with me, so I'm sure it'll be no problem. It will mean that I'll be out of Goshen for 8 or 9 months in a row: Anabaptist/Mennonite History Mayterm class in Europe with John D Roth in April and May; Central American Study and Service in Guatemala for June through August; and Oregon Extension in the woods of Oregon for September through the first few weeks of December. Busy, but fun! And... er... educational, of course.

I'm sitting up in the highest room in Goshen getting paid to update my website. How cool is that? And I'm listening to well-known clarinetist Richard Stoltzman and his son, the incredible pianist Peter John Stoltzman. I guess I'm supposedly running lights as well, but it doesn't take much concentration for classical concerts. Oh, and the Performing Arts Series has been announced for 2006-07, and it's gonna be good! I'm going to get paid to see Dave Brubeck, Nickel Creek, the King's Singers, the Soweto Gospel Choir from South Africa, and the Emerson String Quartet. Boy, it can't get much better than that. Well, it could, but I don't expect it to.

5. 3.30.06 -- Stupid reality

Today was incredibly beautiful outside--68 degrees and sunny. So I played tennis, which was relaxing although I sucked at it. I also had a great rehearsal tonight for the 10-minute play I'm directing for Directing class. My actors are amazing, and I think that the technique I've been using (Meisner-inspired) is finally beginning to make sense to them. In any case, it was a productive rehearsal and I'm really excited about the show.

On another note, we finished the 3rd season of Buffy last night, and tonight we started season 4. It promises to be yet another great way to not do my homework, which I'm all for. The downside is we figured out the other day that the actress who plays Willow is actually 32 years old. Bummer. I hate it when reality interferes with enjoying fiction.

6. 3.29.06 -- If only I had more money, then I'd really be happy

Actually it's not true. I read about it in my psychology textbook. Generally speaking, nothing can actually make you happier or sadder--you'll end up adapting to any situation in the long run. I think I'm supposed to be convinced because there was a quote from Christopher Reeves saying that he was happy to be alive. I guess not anymore, but that's not the point.

The point is I can't figure out what to do next year. Yesterday I found out that the MMA job search to replace me with a full time person is starting over because there weren't any applicants who my boss liked. I guess that's good, but I'd rather have a specific date when I know I'll be fired. Now I'm assuming that it'll be sometime in May perhaps.

More importantly, I can't figure out what I'm going to do next year. If I want to be in the little traveling worship team again (which was a blast, I'll admit), then I have to be in choir next year. And that takes a lot of time (3.5 hours per week plus weekend concerts, etc), which I won't have. But if I'm not in Parables and not working at MMA, then I need to find some way to make money. If I decide not to do Parables, then I guess I'd like to work as master electrician in Umble (I'm already master elec. in Sauder concert hall). But I don't know if that's even going to be a possibility--I had the job freshman year but gave it up, and now someone else is doing it. Maybe I'll be able to squeeze my way back in, we'll see.

In any case, I just failed a Gen Psych exam (I haven't been to class since the last exam) and I'm tired and hungry and a little frustrated. Cheer me up, monkey.

As a side note, I ended up actually getting a score of 75% on the Gen Psych exam, which is a B with my professor's crazy grade curve.

7. 3.28.06 -- That formal education thing

So I just registered for classes for my next year of formal education. I guess that's what they call it these days. I would say real education, but my loser older brother might be offended. I guess he just doesn't get it--he'll understand when he's older.

But yeah, I'm actually pretty excited about my classes. Except I can't decide if I should take Liberation Theologies now with a white guy so that I can take African History next year, or if I should wait and take Lib Theo with a black woman next year and not take African History. I mean, this is what life is all about. I added a History major, so now I'm officially a triple-major in Bible/Religion, History, and Theatre. But the Theatre will probably drop to a minor--we'll see. Here's my current schedule:

8. 3.27.06 -- I mean...I feel like...a scumbag

Actually I don't. It just sounded like a good title. Maybe I'll update my page, finally. I mean, I'm sitting here in Oral Comm class, and I'm bored. I've already checked all three of my spam filters, transferred money from my bank account to my line of credit loan (to make up for my overdraw that I blame on Ben Folds), checked both the NFL and IndyStar for Colts news, read the blog of my high school friend who I don't know or understand anymore, played the coolest online game ever, and now I'm stuck with some weird family wiki. What else can I do?

Now class is almost over...and so is this post. As a side note, I'm addicted to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You should be too. I'm almost done with season 3, and I can't wait.