What was I thinking???

I am closing the Library several times this semester- completely voluntary on my part. Last night was one of those times. Worked all day, went home for a few hours, and then back for the closing shift (midnight). I could do this at 18, or 28...but it is a real effort at 48! The enticement of working 1/2 day on Friday does not seem worth it. Live & learn. I will probably feel different on Friday afternoon as I reach Elden Lookout. And this is a good reminder of how low my energy is when I get out of shape!
Interestingly, this time of year is really busy for me personally- I am out every night this week. I am grateful that God provides me with friends and opportunities to pursue my interests, but this is crazy! I really value my "downtime". Oh, well.
I need to get Pecos, my Chihuahua, hooked up with the Shih Tzu across the street. He has never been an "only", so I need to get him some friends- I do not want another dog at this point. But he is just a horrible little dog- yappy and unfriendly to people and other dogs. But I love him, and don't want him to be lonely.

Adult children and the war...

It's official- I am now the mother of adult children. Luke turns 18 today. How did this happen? Just yesterday I had little kids, and now I have (semi) adults. The scariest thing to me is that Luke has to register with Selective Service- I pray that the Democrats win the national election (for just about every reason) but particularly because of the support for withdrawl of US military personel in areas of conflict. I don't want my kid, or anyone elses', to die in an oil war. And I don't think that winning a war is the way to persuade these countries to adopt a more democratic political system. I am sure that if McCain wins the presidency, he will increase our presence in this war. This completely weirds me out- how could someone who was a Vietnam POW for 5 years support another war that has no clear objective, other than retaliation and control of vast amounts of oil? Not to mention that he is just too old to be president...
The values that the majority of Americans uphold make it harder and harder to deal with living in modern society. And we are all so busy that we do not have the time to actually reflect on why we do the things we do, and the choices that we make. "An unexamined life is not worth living"- I am trying to be more deliberate and reflective around the way I want to live- "walk my talk", but it is hard to do when it seems like everyone else holds values that are the opposite of what I feel called to do, and the way I am trying to live.