oklahoma is a friendly state. when i walk across campus, i'm frequently greeted by complete strangers. we nod, we smile, we say hello. life is a little slower paced here, and we generally take all that extra time to be extra polite.

usually.

every once in awhile, i begin to question the true nature of oklahomans, even my dear sooners. like when some nasty girl honks at me in the crosswalk, or someone puts a sizable dent in my car. having a group of rambunctious fraternity freshman cut me in line for lunch at the student union sometimes feels like enough to inspire relocation to an ice hut in siberia.

campus relations definitely take a plunge for the worse with the falling temperatures. since this past week has been nothing but snow/ice/ice-like-snow (we're all in disagreement), our general attitudes have been nothing but horrible.

i, of course, am no exception. after watching a news bulletin which cheerfully delcared that our temperatures were now "lower than alaska's," i growled at the weatherman, threw on two additional layers of clothing, and angrily headed outside to brave the cold. halfway to my class, a black truck slowed to the curb. the driver, a lovely freshman male, poked his head out the window and offered me a ride to class. without hesitation, i made a mad scramble for the passenger seat. as i climbed in the car, he politely introduced himself and asked where i was headed. we chatted a bit on the drive, and he dropped me off at the door of my building.

thank you, justin pickett, for saving my day and restoring my faith in my sweet college peers and humanity as a whole. your pure intentions and lack of any ulterior motive are admirable.

i'm willing to ignore the fact that your occupation is listed as "stud" in your AOL profile. I'll even ignore your excessive use of the words "dude!" and "tight!!!"

you, justin pickett, are a wonderful person.

as you said in your personal quote, "Life is a journey, not a destination."

well justin, thanks for making my journey warmer, and thanks for getting me to my destination.

or something. ;D