sacred texts

I found myself in front of my bookshelf last night, my mind burdened with a friend's personal crisis, browsing the spines for something profound--words that may enlighten the situation. I rocked Dillard's "Pilgrim" onto its corner but soon returned it. Too naturey. Too Dillardy. I also considered Rand. In the end I pulled out the Tao Te Ching and flipped through its pages, 70% of which had verses highlighted pink and notations like "creator as balance" and "creator as peace" penciled in the margins. I purchased this book--considered a sacred text, I believe--for an Eastern Philosophy course as an undergrad. I found some beautiful lines, but none appropriate for my immediate situation. Before I returned the Tao Te Ching to the shelf, I happened to flip to the dedication page.

For Vicki

I thought it odd. It's like writing For Jerry in the front matter of The Bible.

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In other news: I'll be boarding a plane to New York City in exactly 48 hours and standing in line to purchase tickets for Spring Awakening in roughly 96.
Joy!