'p valley my home

i was reckless enough (and fed up from life enough) to drive in the snow storm last friday afternoon to drive to amherst to spend the weekend with cherry. i nearly killed myself once or twice and saw numerous accidents that looked fatal, but nonetheless i made it safely, despite the fact that it took me about 4.5 hours to get there. i can typically make it in under 2 hrs. it was really nice to see cherry, and since edie's concert that we planned to go in east hampton was canceled that night, we stayed in and watched the documentary "sicko" by micheal moore. american health system has so much flaw (which i knew, and i've learned inside out in one of my classes last semester) and it frustrates me so much that the "managed care" concept has been associated with complete EVIL, because the idea behind managed care is not supposed to be what it is perceived to be. the true rational behind managed care is supposed to be providing the basic health care that we ALL deserve to ALL people at a small cost of restrictions in who they can see and what they can get. somehow this small sacrifice for the greater good for ALL has been distorted and is now received by the society as a means to take free will and choice out of people's lives. the film definitely did that, but it also told other stories about inequity and injustice in health care, adverse selection and underwriting in health insurance coverage in particular, which i know happen all the time. it also compared the health outcome and the cost of the US health care system with that of other countries, and although i know that there is a clear and serious inefficiencies in the US system, the movie seemed to glorify the other systems that i know have problems of their own. regardless, the film was entertaining, and i was stoked to have been able to talk about it with cherry who is also very keen on public health and social justice.

then on saturday i had the priveledge of watching cherry's girl's basketball team (amherst sparks) beat their opponents by a landslide. her girls are GOOD. and cherry is a fantastic coach. sparks was much more skilled and technical compared to their opponent, and the girls just seemed to be playing it because they have fun, which is the way youth sports should be played. not like the way it is played all over this country, where their lives are sports not necessary because they love playing it but because that's what's expected out of them, and because they are brainwashed to believe that that's how you get ahead in life. it was nice to see these kids enjoying a sport with friend on saturday afternoon. in the evening, we headed out to umass to see their rendition of vagina monologues, in which one of cherry's friends was performing. i had such a great time. the message of it all was powerful and inspirational, and i especially enjoyed the barack obama orgasms that went (naturally): "YES WE CAN!! SI SE PUEDE!!!"

sunday was slow and wonderful, the way sundays should be. we decided to head into the "big city" of northampton (as cherry calls it) and strolled through the campus of my alma mater, stopped at the botanical garden, told crazy collegiate stories of mine, and shopped around in town. i absolutely LOVE smith. it was beautiful and snowcapped, with white mt. tom in the background. it brought back all sorts of memories and made me feel nostalgic as it always does. i miss the way things were, even though i know i am pretty content with where i am in my life now. i guess it's the same sense of homesickness or attachment people feel to their hometown or their homes. this was my home. now my family are scattered all over the world, and i miss the utter fact of college life: friends twenty-four-seven at your finger tips. there was an unspoken bond among us all, a solidarity of womenhood, a unity of radical young adults, the pride of queers, however you want to call it, it was there, and i ate it all up. i lived on it. it was my sustenance. of course i crave it even till this day. in my social movement class on monday, we talked about how college students nowadays don't protest as much as they used to during the vietnam era. and even though i agreed, i remember thinking back to when i was in college and how everyday there was a talk of protest. even if it's a tiny one (like house protest) there was definitely one every week. there was campus wide "walk outs" there was "celebration" there were vigils, ah the joy of pioneer valley's five colleges! (obviously smith is the best) i am so proud and joyous to be able to honestly proclaim that i absolutely LOVED my time in college. because i know a lot of people can't say that. for that, i thank sophia smith, my parents, and whatever higher power or fate or goddess that put me in smith.

i hope to get back to the valley and smith again sometime soon. (besides, i want to see edie play! i miss her music...)