March 25, 2002 - 10:08 a.m.

And here I thought it was just an expression. Hmm.

So, here's the thing. We are coming back from Palm Sunday mass yesterday when we pass by Duke's East Campus and see the darnedest thing. Actually, before I get into that, let me just comment on the Palm Sunday mass thing. Not being Catholic myself and coming from an area where Protestantism kind of has the home field advantage, I have only been to two Palm Sunday masses before, both during the course of my marriage to my oh-so-Catholic bride. So, for those of you who have never been (Patty and Sandra S., I hope that doesn't include you,) during part of the service, the priest goes around with a bucket of holy water and starts flinging it on the crowd. Well, somehow, both times I have been, the priest has managed to sling some holy water in my eye. Now, I don't know if somehow his Catholic radar sensed a dirty Protestant in the bunch and he was just trying to stick it to me or what, but he should really learn to be careful. He could put someone's eye out. Oh, well. At least this year the holy water didn't burn me. That's right. Last year, I had a nice burning sensation on my skin everywhere the holy water had landed. Freaked me out. A lot. Come to find out, there was apparently some sort of incense or some other skin-irritating hoo-ha that was added to it to make it special. Joy.

Anyway, back to East Campus. So we were driving by when we saw a group of Dukies standing around a tree. Once we got closer, I realized they weren't just standing around it; they were hugging it. That's right; tree-hugging actually happens. And, it wasn't like a surround-the-tree-to-protect-it sort of activist hug. That tree is in no danger. It was the sort of hug you give Fat Uncle Frank. Hippies weird me out.

previous - next