I'm like a little kid on the night before Christmas. Almost. I'm really excited about school starting tomorrow. I need to go sleep so I'm rested up for the big day.

I had a vivid dream last night. About a Christian professor in the IME department who decided that he just could not continue, because of all the compromise and offendings-of-his-conscience that his job had required of him. Dreams are interesting because they pull together wispy, straying strands of your life into one confused mass of story fiber. Because: a) I'm starting to school tomorrow (yippee!!!); b) My scholarly future is looming in front of me; and c) I went to the Rock of Ages Retirement home this morning (to speak at the request of my grandpa...I spoke on being committed to each other in the church) and once when I was there someone told me that he worked in Journalism for awhile, but he finally quit because he hated feeling as if he was constantly offending his conscience with the work he had to do.

So it all comes together in one grand story. There was a lot more to the dream, too, but I forget it by now.

And it's amazing, unbelievable really, how different it is to be the speaker instead of the listener. You are actually palpably concerned that you might not speak long enough! It's utterly insane.

And another thing. I decided a long time ago that I want to grow to be a dynamic public speaker. That comes, of course, by taking opportunities to speak--practicing. Problem is, you get so that you are reasonably comfortable behind a microphone and you begin to get lackadasical in your preparation. Which is counterproductive to becoming a dynamic public speaker. A vicious cycle, sort of like telling lies, except not as bad.