It's easy to know that you're back in Big Rapids when you look outside at night and see four deer casually strolling up your drive-way. Yeah... about that....
Anyway... here's a little something I wrote on the way to Grand Rapids. I was thinking about stuff... whatever... you'll hear it all.

CrazyJohn on Philosophical Ideology from Andre 3000-
Listening to "Hey ya" off the album "The Love Below" and a certain line struck me (ow! my kidney!). Not that kind of struck. The particular line in question goes a little something like this: "If what they say is 'Nothing lasts forever', than what makes love the exception?"
First of all, I think it is pretty obviously true that nothing lasts forever (sans love... which I'll get to in a moment). Think about anything with a beginning... and, I know it's trite because the Matrix Revolutions used the line about a billion times until you felt it was boring into your skull, but everything with a beginning does indeed have an end. Honestly, think of anything tangible... and it will have an ending... it won't last forever.
Sidenote... while I was thinking about this I came up with a really neato way to remember the difference between tangible and intangible: "Brick on table" = tangible relationship... two objects and you can visualize exactly how they relate to each other; "I love you" = intangible relationship... two objects without a clearly defined relationship... are they related? romantically involved? best of friends? who knows? Anyway... I just thought "Brick on table" was a neat idea... I'm a dork... back to our show :)
Do I believe that love can last forever? Yes... because I've seen it (storytime!). I saw my mother's parents love each other until they day that my grandmother died... then I watched the love for her waste my grandfather away until he died just shy of a year after she had passed away.
Even though it was hard to watch for that one year, it showed me how eternal "true love" can be. And it showed me that two people really can love each other completely, fully, truly, until the day they die. And what a gift it was for me to be able to see that kind of love... it's a rare rare thing... and I'm not going to forget it.
So what does make love the exception to the "nothing lasts forever" rule? I think it has to do with the constant (or at least regular) renewal of that love... Finding out again and again why you fell in love with this person in the first place... finding new things and new reasons to love this person. I think it only works when it's a regular or constant process.
I think a lot of couples fall into a complacency about each other... and their love for each other... after a while it's like "yeah... there's John... I love him" but you don't even really remember why. Things become stagnant... and there's no feeling of doing new things anymore... you're just there and so is he or she and you love each other and that's how it is. And I'll be the first to admit that I've fallen under this trap a time or two... but I'd like to think that I'm better than that now. And, I am trying... I've been trying to let certain ladies know when I'm reminded of their beauty, I say they're beautiful... or I remind them of how intelligent I think they are, or how capable, or just how wonderful... and I'm working on reminding myself and then saying it out loud to them so that they know how I feel about them.
So I guess... I believe in a love that will be able to last forever, because I've seen it happen. And I hope that it will happen to me, but I understand that practically it doesn't happen to everyone. But, I guess, on some level, "true love" is one of the few things I still really believe in... because I've seen it.
Ok... I think I'm getting sappy and emotional... I'm going to go... but look for a list of things for which I am thankful coming tomorrow! Have a Crazy Thanksgiving everyone :)