The Dalai Lama, cycles, and car paint.

I can't believe I met the Dalai Lama today! (This is not my pic- taken from SMU website) It was SO cool to find out how funny and down to earth and like us he was. And his opinions, sprinkled with some humor, about democracy, religion, government, humanity, his life, and our generation. It would be unfair to try and rephrase everything he said. Feel free to ask me in person. But as an example, in the picture he is wearing an SMU hat. He arrived onstage in his sweet lama garb, walks across stage, and whips out the hat. This is him waving at the students. How cool?? One of the most interesting (and by one of, it is one of a lot, as you can imagine, he is full of quotable lines) things he said was when he was asked about being found to be the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and he somewhat jokingly said he might have just had good luck choosing the right article (possession of the last Dalai Lama) as an infant. Here is the leader of Tibetan Buddhism humorizing one of their intrinsic beliefs! This just goes to show that he is not a forcer of religion onto others, but as a pious and devout man ("simple monk" in his words) is able to confidently relate to us and always remain compassionate, loving, and a proponent of world peace, the values he told us a little bit about. Anyway, I don't want to try summarize everything about His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama (his official title), and much less publish opinions on something I am not nearly qualified to publish opinions on, but the experience was very cool.

This morning began the Seniors last week, and we painted cars, just like the first week. I spread some shmear on mah bagel, just like yellow and blue day. . This morning I rolled into the parking lot listening to Over My Head by The Fray of course (btw Hannah Smith loves those guys), and left at 4:45 finishing the song. It was totes cyclical. (Even the bagel was circular, eh?) His Holiness is by default a believer in time as a cycle (but he also was a proponent of progession (a linear concept) of our generation), and today was in the spirit of that. Mr. Eason was right about that cycle! And while I still can (even though I had to clean it off my car), SKA.