I have a facebook page and 100+ friends. That's not unusual, in fact it's probobally kind of small given today's culture. There's one "friend" however, who after 31 years has once again made an impression. Let's just call him Mr. Sobierajski for conversation sake. I always believed he had our best in mind, despite his "...get with the program" attitude and Spock like precision and intensity.
I was lamenting in the Chris is... portion of facebook. 6th grade math. Fractions. Bleck! I've been helping my daughter/relearning 6th grade math. Imagine how 1977 flashed back when this message sprang onto my PDA: "Suck it up Button..."
That voice with it's Drill Sergeant timbre came back like a flood, and along with it so many thoughts that melted into a remembering smile. I hated math...but still appreciate Mr. Sobierajski. He may actually be the reason I passed Calculus - barely!
Wheresgeorge.com is a website that tracks dollar bills as they travel across the state. We're George purists in this house; though I'm not beyond buying a bill from a friend, I'm not stamping my own bills and sending them. They have to be legitimately found or received. For us, the game works like this. 1. Find a wheresgeorge bill 2. Log it in with a both descriptive and funny entry 3. Read the history and then edit the description because it wasn't funny enough 4. Wrap it up with a nice not and send it on it's way (at least a month after we intended to). * Here's where we diverge from George purity. I don't spend the bills - we send the bills as far as we can think to send them (or to the person who will enjoy it the most and play). 5. Hope our friend logs it in, writes a note that's not LAME, and spends it or sends it.
The most interesting of our current 7 bills came from a dancer...you know...a stripper. She noted that she gets a lot of ones in her "profession," or something like that. We laughed, washed our hands thoroughly with soap, and then sent the bill on to my brother! Read into that whatever you like!
Everyone else please forgive this inside joke... Hey buddy, spend it at the "meetings!"
Often I'm getting asked by my children, "where were you when..." Rather than try and remember, or just making it up - "Uh...I was in a coffee shop when they stormed Normanday..." I thought I'd capture the moment now. January 20th, 2009. I was at a meeting in Ithaca with my boss. We were driving home and stopped at the Short Stop Deli to eat. Reuben, Sobe green tea, chicken noodle soup with really big noodles. Popular place with a big TV playing. We stood at the counter to eat our sandwiches and watch the TV. The VP was sworn in without event. And then Obama. Just before he took his oath a couple of ladies...who were a couple...walked in standing close like couples do. Then a guy with big rings on each finger, long curly hair, a feminine fur coat and army boots. A student calling her family, "Turn on the TV, it's important you see this." As Obama spoke, a 30ish man who probobally doesn't make enough money to pay taxes turned and shouted at me, "he's gonna raise taxes, that's what he's gonna do. My great grandfather was in Normandy as a paratroop. Was his father a paratroop? Did he pay taxes? He's gonna raise our taxes!" Ithaca is a liberal town, and honestly I can't think of a better place to have watched Obama sworn in...right next to the ladies, the guy, the other guy and my boss. Not that there's anything wrong with any of those as Jerry Seinfeld would say. But it just seemed to fit. The Audacity of Hope...that's all I have to say. So, where were you?
When I started this blog thing, I struggled to find center, to find a meaning and a purpose. It helps to friend who steers me when I go astray...or when he thinks I've gone astray ; ) Somewhere in this written journey, I have found purpose. To write a story - my story. Sometimes it's about a moment. Sometimes about an event. Sometimes a memory. And sometimes it's just good old fashioned sarcasm! But it's important because it's mine. The stuff that piqued my interest, touched my heart, angered me or made me laugh.
My editor often passes on wisdom I have to steep like tea to realize fully. And though it shocks me each time, his words can be profound ; ) So, I was scolded for adding the year in review as a JibJab entry, and instructed to write my own summary of 2008. I think the JibJab fulfills my "sarcasm quota." My friends words however point to a much more important theme. Think about these words and make an effort.
"life is too short....you read others.....but write your story."
Thanks for reminding me why I do this thing that I do Mr. Editor.
I've pondered for 20 minutes what someone accustomed to riding in horse and buggy might need from Peebles...but still, there they are.
Perhaps I jumped too quickly to a conclusion. The mall hosts a theater, a liquor store, a laundromat, a movie store, a hair salon, a coffee shop, Staples and a gas station!
I'm blessed with three wonderful daughters. Each unique and beautiful in their own amazing ways. But their language. Not only is the talking incessant, but can anyone translate this?
"Most people think I'm a girly girl but really I'm a tomboy but I don't dress like a time boy and I mostly act like a tomboy but sometimes I act like a crazy rabid squirrill - yeah." No pauses, no commas, not slowing down in the sentence. And at the end, the all telling "yeah." Like there's deep truth and meaning that's obviously implied if my male mind could only grasp it. Yeah...
It was a nice service. Christmas eve 2008. We sang, we listened to the Christmas story unfold. We smiled and found our heart warmed by the thought of a baby in a manger some 2000 years ago. It really is amazing. A baby. God became a baby. Mary held him and marveled at the though of it, at the sight of it. And when the reading was over, there would be one more song. Silent night. By candle light. The room darkened except the two ushers candles in the front of the church. Two by two the candles in the room lit up filling the entire room with a golden and glorious light. We sang from our hearts and it was worshipful...beautiful. As the song ended, the pastor spoke so softly. "If you could not raise your candles. Place your hand behind the flame. Now gently blow out the candle." There was beautiful ceremony even in extinguishing the light. "Hold your candles and pause for one more moment." I was on the edge of my seat. Waiting...waiting for that last pearl of wisdom, some glowing reflection of the Savior's birth...something deep and meaningful. And then he said it, "It helps the wax to cool." I had been waiting for some last reflection - he was waiting to protect his carpet and upholstery!
I mean no disrespect. No minimizing of Christmas. But it is funny isn't it?
I don't mean to be insensitive to the whole "Green" initiative. Afterall, I work for a liberal arts college. I went to greenbuild. I'll be LEED certified before summer arrives. Still, I can't resist posting this...must be my past!
I do. He wrote the book (literally) on 'high speed - low drag.' Around Christmas time each year, I like to visit the internet looking for Army buddies. I punched in a name and to my surprise, a photo came back. This photo. In fact, there were several postings with this image all over the net. It's kind of cool in a military sory of way. Hoping to stumble on a few old buddies, instead I stumbled on one who doesn't exist. Shhhhhh....
In the bible there's a man named Simeon. There's a lot of men in the bible. There are a lot of facts in the bible. We can all be religious, we can have a knowlege of God. Study the scriptures and interpret, or misinterpret as we desire. But somewhere in it all - if your faith becomes real - the knowlege melts into your heart.
In Luke 2:22 we can read the story of a man named Simeon. A knowegeable man. A man of God who spent all his time in the temple. He knew the prophesies, he knew the scriptures...and he knew something else. He knew that he would not die until he saw the birth of the Messiah. Simeon was an old man, a man who had lived a good life, and now a man ready to die. But his life was not complete, and so he waited. Waited day after day, year after year. God was not a liar, still the time passed so slowly. And then it happened. One morning he awoke as he had so many others. But this morning was different. God told him to go to the temple. His gaze caught them at once. A young and lowly couple with a baby.
They were unprepared for what happened next. The man approached with an anxiousness uncommon in any era. He moved as fast as an old man could toward them. They knew who their son was, but surely no one else could; still his eyes said it all - he knew. They had no fear, no concern, only curiosity as he reached, and Mary raised the child to his open arms. And then he said it, Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." Mary and Joseph marveled. Read Luke 2:33.
This evening, as I do so often when I consider Simeon, I'm marveling. Google says there are 6,602,224,175 (July 2007 est.) on the face of this earth now. Many more have died, and some undetermined number are yet to live. God cares for all of them. Six billion is a number too large to comprehend, but out of those many billion, he chose one. One man who would not die until he say Christ. One faithful insignificant man would hold Him in his arms, and then 'depart in peace.' My God, what a thought. What a thing to grasp. What peace he must have felt. what tears must have flowen from his eyes. And what wonder must have overcome Joseph and Mary.
If you get a second, listen to Michael Card tell the story...He's posted below
