I am running head-on into a glorious, fulfilling future, full of promise and satisfaction. My life changed for the better when I started college last Fall, and I have been going full-tilt ever since! I just finished this second semester with straight A's, for a cumulative GPA of 3.92, made the President's List, joined the Phi Theta kappa International Honor Society, received a student achievement award, and had one of my poems published in the school's literary journal.

I will be finishing my first degree in Library Information Technology in December of 2010, and going on for an Associate of Arts, before transferring to the state university for a Bachelor's degree with a double major of English and Creative Writing, and minors in Philosophy and Sociology. Then I plan to get my first Master's degree in English, and from there...who knows? I love this education thing so-o-o much that I never want to stop!

Post-secondary education is such a blessing, that everyone should take advantage of it. I never thought that I could do this, and yet am succeeding beyond my wildest dreams. Try it - you won't regret it!

In the long run, we are not all that important in this universe. If humanity ends, the planet will go on, and repair herself, ever evolving. But I'm not ready to give up the ghost just yet! We have the power to change, and improve, and repair the damage which we have done. So let's get to it!!!

AMAZING!!!!

I heard about this event at the local Indie bookstore today.

You are invited to a global tea party!
Please share tea with a friend - or a friend-to-be - on the vernal equinox,
March 20, 2009, 4:00 pm EST (US time). Invite all your friends to join in!
To find out more, go to http://www.teafortwo.info

Hope you will join me!

I love the ability to interact successfully with other people on a equal basis, without the fear of ostracism which I had as a younger person. My Asperger Syndrome made school a social nightmare, but age has given me the perspective and ability to turn my discomfort into something positive. I really enjoy forcing myself to overcome that discomfort, as well as feeling old enough that others' opinions of me don't matter any longer. There such freedom in being ancient! And I have had many more years in which to decipher who I am and what I think and believe, which makes taking part in classroom discussions so much easier.

“Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.”

John Adams,  1765

 

                One of the most indispensable technologies in the history of mankind is that of papermaking. From its earliest form as a mixture of plant fibers and water blended into pulp, then spread flat to dry, paper has been used in an enormous number of applications. Written or engraved upon and rolled into scrolls, printed and bound between covers into books, used to record transactions or correspond with others far away, printed and used for currency, pasted onto walls as decoration, drawn or painted upon, wrapped around gifts, fashioned into clothing, and used for personal hygiene as toilet paper; the product of papermaking technology is irreplaceable for humanity.

                Without paper made into books, I would not be the person that I am today. Books have educated and entertained me, increased my reach and stretched my mind, taken me places which I can never hope to see personally. Without books, I would be ignorant of the world, of history, and of the possibilities which the future holds. In my life, books have truly been more important to me than any other material object. I can live without clothes and shoes, electronic equipment, furniture, and even to a certain extent without food. But without books my mind would not be able to function satisfactorily and would starve, shrivel, waste away. A life without books would not be worth living.

                Without paper upon which to write my thoughts, record my dreams, and create my stories, I would be bereft of my prime creative outlet. Unfortunately, my memory is not an infallible one, and the things which occur to my mind would disappear without a trace if I were unable to write them down on paper. In fact, paper is my physical memory, something I would be mentally impoverished without.

                Without paper to hold in my hands, to inhale the heady fragrance of, to hear the rustle of as I riffle through it, my soul would be unconnected to the physical world. Paper as an artifact is ethereal and visceral, changeable and incorruptible, life and spirit and mind. Without paper, I would be only a lesser being, and unable to aspire to making a positive difference in this world.

                In closing, I must say that all the talk of “paperless technology” brought on by computers, the Internet, text messaging, and Blackberries, fills me with a sense of dread. Without a hardcopy of words, of words on paper, they could disappear like a comforting blanket of fog burned away by the cruel sun of electronic technology. I hope and pray that this never comes to pass as the norm for humanity. We would be so much less without paper, and we cannot afford the loss that day would bring. 

I have my mom to thank for my unique name. You see, my grandmother's name is Leora Hills, so flip it around and stick it together (with a little editing) and you get Hillora. My mom and my aunt were in a bit of a race to see who would name their daughter Lori, and my mom won, giving me the childhood nickname Lori, from Hillora. (My cousin was named Linda, so she got an "L" name after all.) 

Responsibility. Humanity. Gratitude. Awe. Adoration. Unique-osity.

Usually, in my own very uniquely delineated mind. It's full of nooks and crannies, hidey holes and caverns, with wonderful secrets around every turn. But sometimes I just find myself hiding in the eyes of one of my feline companions, losing myself in a renewing gaze of adoration and bliss. The whole world just disappears, and time slows to a crawl!

That feeling of swelling in your heart/soul when you are gazing into the eyes of someone that you love and adore, knowing that you want them to be completely happy, and praying with every fiber of your being that they are living the life the Universe has blessed them with to the ultimate degree of fulfillment. That feeling is just too all-encompassing to describe adequately!