Farewell, feathered friend

So much has been said/written about the ridiculousness that is the Western media that there's pretty much nothing I can add. So I usually make my smartass comments on the news to myself. Or, you know, over a frosty Dr. Pepper with my pal Jon Stewart. I have, however, often mentioned my love-hate relationship with CNN.com. I love it because it's hysterical, in that so-screwed-up-it's-funny kinda way. "The Iraqi Parliament got bombed but the main stories are Imus getting fired and something else about Anna Nicole Smith's baby?? Those crazies at CNN!" On the other hand, I hate it for the same reasons. But, I do read CNN.com daily, along with a couple other news sites.

Despite my attempt at keeping mum, I have to comment on this story. In case clicking on the hyperlink is too much effort (how lazy! ugly baby judges you!) I'll give you the recap: Dick Cheney's plane hit a bird but everyone was okay. That's it. That's the entire story. So I ask you: why was this a link off of CNN's homepage? Is there really nothing else going on in the world? Furthermore, most of the story has nothing to do with the bird. Let me share with you a highlite from this gem of journalistic expression:

"Cheney posed for pictures with little girls while Liz Cheney secured a doll with a Western cowboy hat and get-up."

Ummm . . . . ooookay. That's . . . . good to know? Mildly entertaining? What? What am I supposed to be getting from this, CNN? Because what I'm getting is that, somewhere, there's a lower level CNN.com writer with a wicked sense of humor who enjoys making a mockery of the ridiculous assignments he or she is given. (Note to self: make friends with this person).

I also love this comment from Cheney's people:

"A bird hit the right engine of the plane upon landing . . . . He was told after he delivered his remarks."

I love love LOVE that, apparently, Cheney's people weren't sure how to tell him that his plane killed a bird. "Oh, poor Dick. He's going to be so devastated! I mean, it was just an innocent bird - oh, how are we going to tell him! He won't be able to handle this! Wait - I know! We'll just wait to tell him until after he makes his speech. That way he won't start crying in the middle of the big event! Whew. Glad we dodged that bullet."

i carry your heart

It feels strange being almost done with law school. As fellow law students and former law students know, your first two years or so are pretty good at narrowing your vision. It's hard to see past the next semester's final exams, or the upcoming set of interviews, let alone think about being done altogether. And then, all of a sudden, it's the beginning of April and you have less than six weeks left of the bizarre experience that is law school.

I have two good friends planning to start law school in the Fall, and it's funny to see them at the beginning of the process. They're both very excited. I remember that. During your first month of law school, the excitement is gradually replaced with terror. And sleepiness. And lots and lots of coffee.

I'm not going to wax poetic here about the entire experience, the pros and cons and the things I learned. But, surprisingly, finishing law school isn't turning out to be the glorious relief that every 2L waits for. All of a sudden it's hitting me that most of my friends from law school are leaving, and not in the moving-to-dallas-and-i'll-visit-often way. They're going away to semi-distant lands. Taking bar exams in other states, even. A number of my closest non-law school friends might be leaving as well. I love living in Austin, and being here is right for Matt and me, but it sucks when you have to make a new group of friends every four years or so as old friends leave town. For me it seems to be the girls that always leave. And don't get me wrong - I love my male friends, and I feel extremely blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. But who will I call when Nordstrom's has a shoe sale? Or when I hear a great name for my future hypothetical offspring?

I know that even if everyone who might possibly leave Austin in the next six months ends up leaving, there'll still be new friends to make. And there will be vacations to visit each other, and weekends trips, conferences, and all the other opportunities for spending time with the people I care about. But my friends are precious to me. I don't think there's anyone in the world who has girlfriends and wonderful as I do, and it hurts my heart to anticipate the void that will be in my life when this group of them moves away.

This week my two best friends from high school and I have been emailing each other on and off. One is already far away and the other is one who'll be moving elsewhere in Texas very soon. When we graduated from high school, I never had any doubt that the three of us would stay in touch. And I feel the same way about my other close girlfriends. We'll stay close, we'll laugh across phone lines, and relationships will evolve. But right now the idea of it just feels a little lonely. The past three years have been full of surprises, but the most wonderful surprise was the friends who've been there for me throughout law school.

Recently I saw a sappy chick-flick type of movie, the kind that I normally avoid, and I got another surprise when I started crying at the end. The movie is about sisters, and it very effectively used one of my favorite E.E. Cummings poems to expain the relationship between the sisters. And I thought of my friends, and how much I love them. I carry their hearts with me (I carry them in my heart.)