Putting the "bleh" in "blepharospasm"

My eyelid is twitching, which is really distracting. I decided to research it--because pretty much anything seems more enticing than outlining my Torts class right now--and, according to WebMD, it seems that I have created for myself a perfect storm for eyelid twitches, also known as a blepharospasm:

"Eyelid twitches may be aggravated by having dry eyes. They may also be worsened by stress, lack of sleep, caffeine, and harsh light conditions."

My eyes are dry from reading all day with my contacts in, I'm (just maybe) a little overworked due to finals, I haven't gotten enough sleep the past couple of nights, I had a tasty peppermint mocha earlier, and the fluorescent light above my desk is garish.

Go figure.

O Christmas Tree

I took a study break this evening and headed over to the West Lawn of the Capitol to see the Capitol Christmas Tree-Lighting Ceremony. The 78-foot tree, as we were reminded every sixty seconds throughout the ceremony, was provided by the great state of Montana. Seriously, I have never heard so much about Montana in my entire life as I did in the course of that 45-minute ceremony. The tree is estimated to be 140 years old, which is mind-boggling... It's as old as UC Berkeley!

The area around the tree was fenced off, and only important people (e.g., senators, the press, people from Montana) were allowed within the perimeter, but I found a pretty good spot behind the fence with an unobstructed view. An a cappella group from Montana sang Christmas carols before and after the ceremony, which was pleasant, as were the tunes by the Air Force Band. Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke, which made me happy, and proud for California. I thought it was cute that she invited all of the children from the audience to come forward and "help" her light the tree. The lights are LEDs, as a part of Pelosi's Green the Capitol campaign.

Behind the tree, I could see the half-constructed viewing area for the inauguration. It was pretty chilly--about 42-degrees with a slight breeze--which gave me a taste of what it will be like to stand out there on Jan. 20, though it'll probably be at least five degrees cooler, and precipitation is quite plausible. Brr. I'm asking for thermal underwear and hand warmers for Christmas.

Apex

New experiences during my Thanksgiving break in Apex, North Carolina:

• Spent 12 hours on Amtrak, round-trip
• Watched Mork & Mindy--Robin Williams hasn't changed much
  
• Saw a fish ice sculpture
  
• Ate German bologna--es ist gut!
• Went inside a Walmart for the first time ever (seriously, I had never been)
• Attended the symphony (Holiday Pops by the NC Symphony)
• Tasted hummingbird cake
• Attentively watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from start to finish
  
• Bought boots
  
• Celebrated Thanksgiving with my grandparents and aunt :-)
  
• Realized that D.C. is starting to feel like home
  

Train Post!

This post comes to you by iPhone, whilst I travel by Amtrak down to Raleigh for Thanksgiving with my grandparents. Oh, technology... So cool. According to my GPS, we're just outside of Fredericksburg, VA. It's already dark outside, but I don't have a window out of which to look anyhow. I'm at the front of the car, in a seat with an absurd amount of leg room, actually. The only problem is the lack of table... My Civil Procedure book is balance on my lap, but it means that I'm reading with poor posture. Oh, well.

My train was scheduled to leave Union Station in D.C. at 3 pm, but was delayed until 3:45, so I won't be arriving until 10 pm. I hope my grandpa doesn't mind picking me up so late!

Ha ha, I considered doing a live blog of the train ride, but based on the past few hours, I doubt there will be much to report. Back to collateral estoppel, I suppose... I hope everyone has safe travels and a lovely Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving will quickly be upon us, and I wanted to express the things for which I am most thankful. We usually talk about this at the dinner table on Thanksgiving, but since I won't be able to travel to California for the brief break this year, I thought I'd share my thanks by video:

Op-Ed

So, I wrote an op-ed piece about the Prayer-in-Daily-Life Retreat for the Georgetown Law Weekly. Sharing my spiritual testimony by way of school newspaper is a new experience for me, to say the least, but I'm glad I took the time to organize my thoughts. Here is the article, for the curious. (ADX and Newman kids, be excited--you're mentioned!)

Retreat, finding time for spirituality in law school
Amanda Stempson

     I closed my eyes, and imagined the scene: I was tending a flock of sheep at the base of a mountain. I could hear someone calling my name, but I felt conflicted—should I stay with the flock, or follow the voice?
     This was the first of many questions that I faced during the Prayer-in-Daily-Life Retreat offered by Campus Ministry during the first week of November. This particular question arose as I participated in a guided prayer led by Father Alexei Michalenko, S.J., based on Moses’ encounter with God in the form of a burning bush in Exodus, chapter 3. As I put myself in Moses’ shoes (well, sandals), I related to his struggle to choose between his earthly duty and God’s greater calling.
     In meeting with a spiritual advisor each day for half an hour, and committing to a half-hour of daily prayer during the week-long retreat, my hope was to renew my prayer life. In undergrad at UC Berkeley, I had been very involved with student ministry at Newman Hall Holy Spirit Parish. I was also in Alpha Delta Chi, a Christian sorority. Starting out at Georgetown Law, I did not know what to expect. Would I find a faith-filled community? Would I be able to strike a balance between the notorious rigors of 1L year and my personal desire for spiritual enrichment? This retreat called out to me as a chance to examine these questions.
     My spiritual director was Sister Dorinda Young, who greeted me in her office each afternoon with a peaceful smile. She lit a candle, reminding us of God’s presence, and we quieted ourselves by contemplating ruah, the Hebrew word for spirit or breath. Just as I breathe in and out every moment, ruah seemed to say, so could God’s love be a continual presence in my life.
     The challenge as a law student, however, is to find time to acknowledge and appreciate God’s love. For me, making time for God requires both desire and energy: a desire to pursue such a relationship, and the energy to live out God’s love each day.
     How, then, to grow in faith during law school, when we are short on desire and energy at the end of a rigorous day? From the Prayer-in-Daily-Life Retreat, I witnessed three ways in which I can further develop my spirituality.

Prayer

     At the heart of the retreat is a commitment to daily prayer. At first, I wasn’t sure how I would manage to fit the half-hour into my schedule. I tried out different times throughout the day, and learned that evening prayer worked the best for me. When I found myself wearied by my schoolwork, I chose to take a break for prayer. I would close my laptop, turn down the lights, light a candle, and relax in my chair. I tried pre-written prayers, praying with Scripture, journaling, and extemporaneous prayer, but the deepest prayer for me was to simply be quiet and listen.
     At the end of a half-hour, or even 15 minutes, I felt calm and rejuvenated. Taking the short break seemed to make the rest of my evening far more productive, instead of slogging through without pause. I was delighted to discover that my spiritual renewal was impacting other aspects of my life, including academics.

Study

     Spending time with Scripture was another key element of the retreat. One of my favorite things about reading the Bible is that I can read the same passage over and over, and get a completely different meaning out of it each time. The essence of Bible study for me is applicability—how does this passage apply to my own life? The retreat emphasized many methods for connecting with Scripture, including imagining oneself in the scene of the passage, reading a psalm as a prayer, and focusing on any specific words that resonate while reading a passage.

Accountability

     The week before I left for undergrad, I went to visit my grandmother. At the end of our visit, saying our good-byes, she tearfully embraced me and whispered in my ear, “Don’t lose faith.” Those three little words spurred me on to grow dramatically in my relationship with God, and provided me with a clear model for showing others accountability.
     In search of spiritual accountability at the start of my 1L year, I first discovered Catholic Forum, a group of law students that meets monthly to discuss issues relevant to Catholicism while promoting a spiritual community. Coupled with Mass in McDonough Hall’s beautiful little St. Thomas More Chapel on Sundays, it was a good foundation, but I yearned for more. I was searching for the intimate accountability that I had found so readily in my Bible study groups at Berkeley.
     Through Catholic Forum, I met Michael O’Rourke, a fellow 1L, who had been similarly involved with Bible study groups at Harvard. Desiring a smaller faith community rooted in accountability, he and I have started the aptly named Small Group Bible Study, which meets each Wednesday at 7:30 pm in Gewirz 1014 to explore the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ by sharing in Scripture and prayer (and baked goods).
     The retreat similarly exemplified a small community of personal sharing. I was inspired by the willing vulnerability of my fellow retreatants as we discussed our hopes and struggles during the retreat’s opening and closing gatherings. The group was a composite of several different faith traditions, but we all connected on a more basic level through our desire to know God’s love.
     By the end of the retreat, we were asked to sum up our experiences in one phrase or image. My phrase was, “The Lord takes my hand and leads me.” This is the ultimate form of accountability, to allow myself to be led by faith. Through the Prayer-in-Daily-Life Retreat, I am hopeful that prayer, study, and accountability can be fruitful features of my life as a student at Georgetown Law.

     Amanda Stempson, 1L, would love to hear how others are balancing the spiritual and the scholastic. She can be reached at als244@law.georgetown.edu.

Two little things...

I was called on today in my Civil Procedure class, and survived! The professor kept me and my classmate sitting next to me on call for the entire hour-and-a-half (though sometimes calling on other people). I didn't take very many notes, because I was too busy concentrating on every word he said to make sure I'd be able to answer his questions, which are sometimes cryptic. For example, when trying to ask me about the role of traditional tests for personal jurisdiction, all he said was "Fiddler on the Roof?" I stared at him, utterly perplexed, until he said with gusto, "Tradition!" Gah, I should have gotten that! There were definitely some questions I couldn't answer, but he nonetheless told me "Good job" after class, which was a relief.

The other cool thing that happened today was SNOW! It snowed for five minutes or so around lunchtime. I was in the library when it started, and once I caught sight of it from a window, I packed up all of my things, ran down four flights of stairs, and stood in our little quad, gawking at the sky. The only other time I had seen snow fall was on the Spring 2006 Newman retreat (iTune into God), so I was very excited. The snow melted as soon as it touched the ground, but there were definitely little flakes clinging to my Cal sweatshirt! So pretty! A man walking by spotted me and, gesturing toward my sweatshirt, commented, " I bet you don't see this too often in Berkeley." True story, sir.