love madison

 It is official, I love Madison.
I love this city.  I love absolutely everything about this lovely city.  From the moments of tranquility found on walks to the Majestic Theater for church on sleepy Sundays to the crazy chaos of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, this city has tugged on each of my tender heart strings.  Now, this feat must not go overlooked or passed by for my heart strings have become wound up so tightly that they are not anymore prone to become latched on to anything.  Madison has managed, in the past two years of living here, in the midst of it all, to slowly work its way in, changing my heart and overflowing it with love.

There is no turning back or ignoring of this kind of LOVE.  I am hooked.
From the goodness and the beauty:
                of the isthmus, the lakes, the arboretum, picnic point, coffee shops, and the amazing community (and the camaraderie that comes with it)
To the craziness and the wildness:
              of weekly partying past the limits, of intolerance, of the sheer destruction of the beauty.
I love allllll of that, the good, the bad, and the ugly of Madison.  Because, after all, no city can ever reach perfection.

This manifestation of mine came about in the wee morning hours during the preparations for cleaning up Mifflin St. after the block party of epic proportions from the day before.  Standing on the street, being overwhelmed by the sheer destruction of beauty I was discouraged.  I was tired (after being sleep deprived the past couple nights) and my mind could not manage to process how this mess could ever be cleaned, how the beauty can be restored.  After all, the scene was described as, "looking like a tornado hit" by my new friend Emma from Middleton.  This tornado must have been of epic size, touching anything and everything on Mifflin,  scattering beer, garbage, alcohol, and waste in each direction.

But how could we, a group of people in love with Madison (God's creation) restore everything affected by this "tornado?

It was a miracle, every year it is.  Time flew as I found myself enjoying picking up beer cans and laughing when spilling copious amounts of beer on my clothes.  I found inspiration in the faces of everyone who sacrificed sleep and possibly sanity to wake up and clean the debauchery from the previous countless hours of "fun".  I found a new friend in 11 year-old Emma who worked tirelessly cleaning off each and every balcony of debris.  Through Emma I remembered God's promise to us.

The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines. Nahum 2:2

Human destruction no matter how severe can never destroy God's creation.  End of Story.  PTL. And love Madison.