I'm still in a t-shirt from this morning's 70 degrees when I look out the window. A light, shimmery haze swirls in front of the street lights: some kind of rain? Soon the shouts start down the hall - "SNOW!" We throw on the warmest clothes we have - hoodies, rain boots, windbreakers - and scamper out of the dorm. People are dancing, laughing, taking pictures, running around... We don't care that the snow melts as soon as it hits the ground. We can see it in the sky, churning madly. The last time it snowed was I-don't-know-when, but definitely before I was born. Only a few jaded souls from colder climates have out their umbrellas; the rest of us are frolicking like puppies as our thin cotton jackets soak through.

Would it be cliché to say it's a miracle? Then call me trite! I've spent the last eighteen years wishing for snow, and finally I've felt it sting my eyes and numb my fingers. By now it's turned into sleet (much sharper than I thought it would be!) but for a magical, glorious half-hour, it snowed.

I think I experienced the first memorably terrifying dream that I've had in a long while last night. It's been a long time since that last happened, and I don't miss it.

In the dream, I came to completely disoriented but aware of a terrible pain. I managed to pull myself up, noting that my legs weren't really working, and took as much of a look at myself as I could. My calves and shins were cut to pieces - nasty, crescent-shaped ragged tears going all the way to bone. I couldn't feel my feet at all. It didn't take me long to realize my arms weren't much better off. The most striking thing was the lack of blood. A few drops, here and there, but not much else. As I looked around I came to realize that I wasn't quite alone - there were a few others in the room with me, in similarly awful shape, mostly children, many with horrific facial injuries. (And that's a serious squick-source for me - facial wounds make me cringe) I remember that making me more angry than sad - what kind of subhuman monster would carve up innocent children like that? Despite my own condition right then I wanted whomever was responsible for this to FUCKING DIE.

I tried to drag myself toward one of the kids, but my legs were at least partially frozen to the floor, and I tore a piece off while trying to move. I saw red, screamed and collapsed to the cold steel floor, and just lay there crying for what felt like forever, before I heard gunfire coming from outside the room. About then two soldiers, probably German judging by their uniforms and weapons, burst in. I was then awakened by some rather earth-shaking flatulence from the bunk on the other side of me, and sat bolt upright in my rack, drenched in sweat and half-crying, but thankfully intact.

I have no idea what the fuck prompted that dream or what it meant. I seldom have violent dreams, and when I do it's usually the Big Damn Heroes getting one over on the bad guys. Of course, perhaps that's who the German soldiers were. It was downright freaky, though. I don't think I've ever had a dream where I felt that helpless, or was in that much pain, either. I certainly hope this doesn't happen again...

Okay, so tell me I'm not the only noder here who is unsettled by all the users who, oh we'll say started E2 5.5 years ago, and were "last seen" 5.4 years ago! It's uncanny! The only explanation would be that they simply didn't have the gusto to stick it out here.

So let me make it painfully obvious for any new E2ians that might be reading this: Your very first writeup is going to get deleted. Eat it! Deal with it! Make another one! Listen when the guys (and gals) tell you something. Use your scratch-pad and Daylog. Don't just give up because your first couple of tries got eaten by Klaproth. Hey - use the Everything2 Help link. Do something. Just don't give up.

everybody has a plan these days
everybody knows their place
not everybody fits between the turning cogs
the crushed ones make room for 1000's more

everybody is so settled in their lives
in their roles as future husbands and wives
why should we fear anything?
naiveté pays more
a lump in the throat and an aching spine are easy to endure
when you are so young
and so sure
the future is in your hands
to twist, to change, to bend
to rearrange.