Stop, Drop, and Roll Won't Work in Hell

Honestly, I was really struggling with a title for this post.


I thought about "Back in Black" because every time I return somewhere, I start humming that particular AC/DC song to myself.  Or I sing it while I run.  It is a peculiar addition to the soundtrack of my life.  I do believe it runs a nonstop loop in my head because it makes me feel slightly badass.  Not badass enough to actually be a badass, but badass enough.


I also thought about "This is How it Works."  Fans of Regina Spektor will recognize this title as a line from the song "On the Radio."  This is a lyrics killer, every line is amazing and meaningful and creatively beautiful and I am of the opinion that this song has one of the best definitions of love (which is on my mind often and especially when I am leaving China and my love):


"This is how it works: you peer inside yourself,
you take the things you like

You laugh until you cry,
 you cry until you laugh,
and everyone must breathe,
until their dying breath. 

and try to love the things you took-
and then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood"

I know it seems weird, but listen to the song and you will understand.  And then you will be on board with me potentially using that as the title to this post-China post. 

Finalist number three was "Things I Learned in China." It would have been a hilarious blog about the trials and tribulations of living as an ultra non-fluent foreigner in a foreign land.  But I am not yet ready to reminisce; the feelings are still too close to the surface.  Reminiscing in this case would probably mean tears; and tears in a NPS house full of girls is not a great idea.  Like at all.  Besides, the "Things I learned in China" list would probably be somewhat scary and potentially vomit inducing.  For example:  Things I learned in China: You can very clearly (crystal clearly) hear epic loogies hawked. Over a radio. In a cab... so over all of the traffic, music, jarring car noises... there's the omnipresent loogie.  

How could I possibly have chosen between the three?  The short answer is that I couldn't have.  There was just no way. 

So a big shout out to the JESUS CHRIST UNIVERSITY in Manteo NC for providing me with the most excellent substitute title of all time.  In case you were wondering, no- Stop, Drop, and Roll Won't Work in Hell.  Personally, that is a load off of my mind (I'm probably mixing some sayings together with that one).   Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't happened upon that particular sign while biking to the Family Dollar for an extension cord?  Would my immortal soul, confused on that point, be wasted in an eternity of stopping, dropping, and rolling?  Perhaps I would have gotten a free pass because of my own church's lack of clarity on the proper procedure for burning in Hell?

Welcome to my New World.  NPS Summer Season 2011: Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Manteo NC, 

Roanoke Island.  About two miles down from JCU- the apparent paragons of amazing spiritual advice. 

Cheers friends.  And think about investing in fire extinguishers, eh?