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August 05, 2004
Minnesota v. Iowa
I know I will have friends from both MN and IA reading this blog, so I will give you all fair warning: in true Blair style, it will be completely honest, totally blunt, and entirely tactless.
On that note, I will admit up front that this summer in Ames has made me want to live here forever. I felt welcome immediately and right at home soon after. I have what I honestly feel is like a gigantic family.
At Olaf, I have three very close friends, with whom I have good, clean fun on a regular basis. I can tell them anything and everything, and often they get the brunt of what is too personal for a blog. If I did not return, I would miss them terribly.
I also have a wide group of friends at Olaf. These consist of people who are extremely fun to hang out with, but I often find myself choosing not to partake in some of their activities, mostly for moral reasons. This leaves something to be desired.
In addition to all of my spiritual brothers and sisters, I have a biological brother here in Ames. I am bewildered as to why he let me intrude on his life, not to mention encouraged me to do so, but I have loved sharing it with him. It's been a while since we've played volleyball together, but we still make a darn good team, if I do say so myself. Also, Being around him has kind of helped me remember who I am, which is important once in a while.
I can't help but wonder if some of the glamour excitement of Ames would wear off if I were to live here permanantly. If I were a permanant fixture instead of a long-term guest, I would probably turn in to boring Megan instead of Megan! I would have to resign myself to working and studying, with playing set aside for the weekends. None of this same-movie-two-nights-in-a-row business. Maybe it would be best to keep Ames as the fun get-away place reserved for long weekends.
Transferring to ISU would be illogical and impractical, which means that for a Blair to do such a thing would be nearly impossible, though I am getting better (worse?) at such things. I would not be able to take classes in the fall due to silly things like application deadlines. I have not figured out which classes would transfer and which wouldn't, but this process would probably either add semesters until I graduate, cause me to drop one of my majors, or both.
Sure, tuition at ISU is significantly less costly than at Olaf, but increasing the amount of time until I graduate also increases the amount of time until I get a decent job with a decent income. In fact, while dealing with financial issues, my parents are probably having heart failure at this very moment, thinking about all the money they would have wasted on my semesters at Olaf just to have me end up with a diploma from ISU.
I don't go to church at Olaf. I have tried going to several different churches in the area, and I have had major disagreements with the theology presented at the pulpit at all of them. I do attend a Sunday evening worship time, replete with a praise band. The band is not bad, but the music is nothing compared to the Rock. And worship only does so much to feed me spiritually.
I have been given a leadership position with the College Republicans at Olaf next year. I am excited to be working on the presidential campaign in a swing state, and I know I will be challenged to lead my members to do the same.
The key question here, though, is where God wants me to be. I have indeed been praying about this, but probably not as much as I should. Somehow, though, I always end up concluding that God could sure use someone at Olaf to be an example. I question whether my faith is strong enough for this and whether I am spiritually mature enough for this. I feel like I am constantly learning this summer, like I am the spiritual baby of the group. Would I be able to hold myself up as well as others?
Well, that's not nearly all of the questions or all of the answers, but it puts a dent in it for now.
Posted by Megan at August 5, 2004 10:26 AM
Comments
Let's compromise, shall we? You have only one more year at Olaf, after which you can move to Ames and live there forever. We at STO have only one year left with you; your Ames crowd can have forever after. Further, if you were to transfer to ISU, you would deprive all of your Olaf fans of a proper teary goodbye. Come back to Olaf. Please.
Posted by: Kristin at August 5, 2004 12:20 PM
Finally someone else who sees the good in Iowa, all I ever get to hear is people complain about it and whine how it smells funny, well they can leave we never wanted them here any way then there will just be more room for those of us that like it.
Posted by: wagner at August 5, 2004 01:32 PM
Like I said on Sunday...
sometimes it takes more faith to stay than to go (staying, in your case, being St. Olaf.) Kristin has a point, you do only have a year left... after which you could move to Ames forever (or for a year, then go on a church plant with us ;)).
That being said.
movetoamesmovetoamestransfertoisutransfertoisumovetoamesmovetoamesmovetoamesmovetoames
Praying, accompianied by fasting (crazy stuff) clears the head in funny ways... ya know?
I once heard a pastor say that he would get away with a jug of water, "lock" himself in a room, and pray, not quitting until God gave him a clear answer. :) There's something to be said for wrestling with God and not giving up until he blesses you (old testament reference I assume you are familiar with?). Just remember that God doesn't always fight fair, and sometimes he will break your hip :)
But he loves you, and has a plan for your good and not your harm. That's really the only thing I know for sure.
Just be sure that whatever you do, you are doing in faith, and I think, that no matter what you do, God will bless it :)
There's my 200 cents.
Posted by: Matt at August 5, 2004 02:00 PM
May I poke my nose in where it's not invited?
.
.
.
.
Hearing no objections:
Not giving advice, but a thought occurred to me. If you go back to St. Olaf ("a town called Northfield," from the movie, "The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid) for one year with the plan that afterward you will move to Ames or go on a church plant or some other crazy thing, that will give you one year to talk to your friends, family and other acquaintances about your goals and the role the Lord and the Great Commission play in your life. That would be a good thing, especially at a very Lutheran school, for people to meet someone desiring to live the radical Christian life.
(Long ago, btw, I spent a week camping in the state park south, I think it was, of Northfield. Found my wife's dog there. A puppy, it had been left behind by some campers. I forget the name of the park.)
Posted by: Different Dan at August 5, 2004 07:23 PM
Just to be clear, I have nothing against Lutherans. I married one.
Gotta go. Here comes the nurse with my dinner.
Posted by: Different Dan at August 5, 2004 07:27 PM
Yes, Ames would soon enough lose it's glamor, and such... it'll be hard saying good bye, this we know. But, I am sure that God has a plan for you at Olaf this year. He alone knows His plan, and it'll be cool to see it all come together in your life.
(btw-snaps for goin' personal:))
Posted by: Angie at August 5, 2004 07:29 PM
Megan,
I have to agree with Angie. The glamour does wear off after a while. And Ames during the school year is a very different place than Ames during the summer. But that doesn't mean we wouldn't love to have you here, even though it is completely unrealistic.
Posted by: mike at August 6, 2004 10:27 AM
I must pray, because I've been considering how much it will stink to say so long, if only for a little while. In defense of your STO friends, they deserve to have you too, assured. But, admittedly, this is a situation where is it good that God is in control, because if I had control, you and your friends would all transfer to ISU.
I know that you have the strength to defend and grow in your faith, and be a witness to others.
Posted by: Heather at August 9, 2004 12:09 AM
I am flattered/amazed by the nice things you say about me. The thing about being a Blair is that you're forced to make the logical decision: finishing school in Northfield. You would add another year (at least) by trying to finish at ISU (they make you take your last 60 credits here), and 2 years of out of state tuition would be way more expensive than 1 year at St. Olaf.
Ames will not loose it's "glamour" (an odd word to associate with this tiny town) when you moved here permanently; it will just change completely once school starts. Such is the nature of the beast known as 'summer' in a college town.
The fact of the matter is that there is nothing inherently amazing about Ames, IA, other than the complete inability of the football team to win a game and the Berekley-like leanings of the City Council. What makes it a great place is the people, none of whom are really here permanently. So the trick is keeping in touch with the people, regardless of where you are.
And then moving back in a year.
Posted by: Pat at August 9, 2004 01:37 PM