The .Plan

The New York Times posted an article about the pressures facing female high schoolers in this age of insanely competitive college applications. The parents of this girl must be quite proud of themselves:

First Baptist Church counts on Esther. She organizes pancake suppers, tutors a young congregant and helps lead the youth group’s outreach to the poor.

On a springlike Sunday afternoon toward the end of winter, Esther could be found with her father, her two brothers and members of her youth group handing out food to homeless people on Boston Common. She had spent the morning in church.

About 2 p.m., a text message flashed across her cellphone from Gabe Gladstone, a co-captain of mock trial: “Where are you?” Esther, a key member of the group, was needed at a meeting.

Esther messaged back: “I’m feeding the homeless, I’ll come when God’s work is done.”
–Sara Rimer, “For Girls, It’s Be Yourself, and Be Perfect, Too”, New York Times, March 31, 2007

Who needs to go to Washington, D.C.? Click through for the set.

I hereby declare that the Hotel Harborview call schedule will not prevent me from going to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival later this month.