  Saturday I rode a motorcycle, my hair flying back behind me and the wind beating my face. At first I screwed my eyes shut and clung hard to my friend, but then I said to myself, Well, death is never far, so why not enjoy this? We got up to 114 mph. I let go of him and relaxed into the turns. I looked up at the crescent moon. Me in my tatty blue sweater from Goodwill, washed nearly white. No socks beneath my tennis shoes, no makeup.
Something about flying down the road on a motorcycle made me feel beautiful. Last night I played kickball. Slammed a beer and wandered out onto the field. Something about it made me feel like I was in junior high gym class again. We lost, badly, but that's fine. I gave my boss a ride to and fro. What an interesting man. Today in class we discussed the concept of Natural Rights outlined by John Locke. Life, liberty, property. I am so sick of undergraduate classes, so sick of this place and this tiresome routine. I had to fight the urge to stand up on my desk and do an air guitar and sing You got to FIGHT for your RIGHT to PARty!!! at the top of my voice. My roommate's back home, full of stories and just about wrecked in love with the Kenyan man she met. (Unwilling to admit this, of course, but it's obvious. ) It's clear she fell in love with the place, the life, the way over there.
And now back in Kansas, this stagnant pool in which I have become a fixture. Our talk this morning made me itch to go somewhere--Anywhere. I need to have an adventure. I keep fantasizing about getting up from this bloody computer monitor and walking up to the toll booth where the road forks East and West on the interstate. Get a cardboard sign and a change of socks... Or maybe I should just keep on working and make sure I can go somewhere legally and paid for. Peace Corps, study abroad, shoestring vacation...At this point I'd be happy going to the lake and jigging for crappie. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. I have to fight for that. 
