New Years Greetings from the Sladky-Hillmans!
Strength and peace to all of you! We hope you are in good health and spirits, and that the holidays were a time of renewal for you. We began 2010 with the obligatory blast of the shofar, and went skiing the rest of the afternoon. Since I am unable to walk today, it seems good to write our reflections.
Luke (23) is in Washington, DC working for his alma mater, Georgetown University. He will begin a Masters program (Communication, Culture and Technology) there later this month unless he gets a better offer from a company in Afghanistan. Luke is “in a relationship” with Pam (a very smart Claire Danes lookalike), and would like for us all to consider not eating animals in 2010. [Editor's note: I assume Dad used the phrase "in a relationship" in quotes because it's facebook-speak. I left facebook early last year due to privacy concerns. -Luke]
Ms. Girl (Lucy) is a senior theatre major at Wake Forest University: to graduate or not to graduate, this is not a question. Her mother and I are thrilled that Lucy is putting her considerable dramatic gifts to good use. She directed the play, ‘dentity Crisis, this fall (I-dentity, you-dentity, he she or it-dentities), a comedic romp that sent several into therapy. As far as the future is concerned, Lucy is keeping her options open at this point. Employment is one of many possibilities.
Conrad (16, going on whatever) is into true head-banging metal now. He is a high school junior, plays soccer in the fall / tennis in the spring, is on the Student Event Clean-up Staff, and is a real player (young men are now full participants in drama-crisis circles, breaking the lock teenage girls have had on these for years). Conrad got a new iPod for Christmas, because “one does not simply rock into Mordor.”
Leslie is aging like fine wine – that special vintage in the poetry of Julia Ward Howe. Eschewing all artificial dyes and sweeteners, her natural beauty and disposition freely shine forth nowadays. Still enjoying her work in the media center of North Henderson HS, she nonetheless dreams of veterinary medicine, mucking out stalls and more time to herself. Paradoxically, we dread the empty nest.
I am in my fourth year at First UMC, Rutherfordton, NC, working with an excellent staff and active laity. The highlight of 2009 for me came in September when we hosted one of my personal heroes, Tony Campolo, for a three day preaching mission. It was, in a word, awesome!
‘Racki (short for Baracki Hussein) is a demon dog, but highly entertaining at times. The backyard bunnies drive him absolutely nuts! Captain Jack the Hamster lives as an illegal on the Wake Forest campus. Cousin Mark Prak flew to California with Batman and Robin in July. Batman (the Dark Kitty) now resides with Leslie’s twin, Lorraine, and Robin Prak returned to NC with her husband.
We felt very fortunate, though with mixed emotions, to have sold our mountain house last summer. Shedding such a possession makes us feel lighter, though less grounded – one more divestment in that inexorable march. Nekkid, we came forth…
One hopes that 2010 will be the Great Turnaround Year from the previous decade. If it is true that we learn from our mistakes, the human race is poised to exhibit unbelievable wisdom. And having been warned not to preach, I leave you with our love and best wishes for this brave New Year!
Ed, for Leslie, Luke, Lucy, Conrad, Racki, Jack, Batman, and lots and lots of bunnies!