CHAPTER 2 : Thursday

Sent: 2/11/2002 10:34 PM

I was walking down the hallway today, and a graduate student in our program stopped me and asked, "Hey Chad, what are your plans for Thursday?"

Thursday? Golly, what was Thursday? Did I have any plans for Thursday?

"I guess nothing," I said, "Why do you ask?"

"It's Valentine's Day silly! Are you going to do something special on Valentine's Day like when you dressed up in the Winnie-the-Pooh costume for Halloween?"

Valentine's Day!!! I had forgotten all about Valentine's Day coming up. Ugh. Okay, honestly, my initial reaction to Valentine's Day is that it's just another one of those holidays that has been so over commercialized that it's actually caused harm for the true intention of the day. Shopping bags laced with the words "Love for Sale" actually cause me to become nauseated.

As this grad student looked on waiting for my response as to whether or not she could expect Chad's craziness on Valentine's Day, I offered her a 'well-you-never-know' shrug and got into the elevator smiling.

Gandhi said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

I may not be a big red heart on Thursday, but I think I will wear one on my sleeve. Open, honest, and in love.