This is kind of random.

There's a girl on my wing whose name is Amber. She's loud and frank. She's... I need to go find some adjectives. Ah! Here we go: indiscreet, reckless, impulsive.

You have to understand--she's all these things according to my very discreet, cautious, and tactful nature. She's really not that bad. Anyway.

As you could probably guess, she's not really "my type." It's hard, sometimes, for me to accept her--as I'm sure it is for her to accept me--and realize we do have some things in common.

Today I was listening to her shrieking in her room about something outrageous, of course, and I had a flash memory of how she flies through the hallways screaming at the top of her lungs. I remembered how Lacey (her roommate--and they are truly perfect roommates, LOL!) always comes running after her with one of these "episodes", yelling, "ROOMMAAATE! Come back here!"

And suddenly something occurred to me. Amber bolts out of her room...and she wants to be chased. She wants to be found.

In that way, she's not unlike me at all. And I just found it fascinating that even with two VERY VERY different people, we still have some things in common.

-Stephanie

Everybody Free
Michael W. Smith

...ring around the rosies...
full of posies...
ashes, ashes we all fall down...

The longing in my heart has stirred a faded memory
Of a young heart beating fast behind the willow tree.
I was counting out loud, and I only peeked a time or two.
The only purpose in my life was finding you

Singing, "Olly, olly, everybody free!"
Now was I chasing you or were you chasing me?

We all grow up and put away our childhood games,
But deep inside I wonder if we really change
'Cause I'm still seeking, though I've learned to hide so well.
And I can still remember how it felt...

Singing "Olly, olly, everybody free!"
Will I ever find someone pursuing me?

And then You caught me by surprise.
I found my tears are in Your eyes.
I hear my heart inside of You;
At last I've found somebody who
Can free my soul and love me too.

I can't believe we hide so long and run so well
While all the while we're aching to be caught and held
But it's only in surrender that our freedom comes
And so I run abandoned into Your waiting arms

Singing "Olly, olly everybody free!"
I belong to You and You belong to me

'Cause when You caught me by surprise,
I found my tears are in Your eyes
I hear my heart inside of You
At last I've found somebody who
Can free my soul and love, and love me too

And love me too, yeah
Everybody, everybody free
I am free, I am free

Olly, olly, everybody free
Olly, olly, everybody free
Olly, olly, everybody free...