Leading Off - It has been a very long time since I’ve posted anything and for that, to my five readers, I express my apologies. Each day I have either been very busy or so tired I don’t want to do much at all. But let me backtrack to just after Thanksgiving and get you all caught up.
Community - I’ve been feeling isolated since I moved out of Villa Special and into my permanent residence back in August. I live without any sort of community to rely on. Now, that might confuse some of you. You’re thinking, “Did he stop going to Nav Night? What about church? And he’s around people all day at work. He’s even got a roommate he likes now. What’s the big deal?” Let me differentiate between “community” and “socialization.” I would consider myself to still be a social person. Some places I’m forced to be social, work being one of those places. I don’t have much choice but to relate with my coworkers if I want to stay employed. And I do still go to Nav Night on Thursdays and to Wesley on Sundays. I’m still around other human beings. I still talk to people. My existence is acknowledged in this small part of the world I call my home.
But I don’t feel like I have any deep connection with anyone. My roommate and I have two totally different schedules. We’re lucky if we have one meal with each other every week. I don’t live in a dorm anymore, so it’s a little harder than going to another floor to find someone if you’re feeling lonely. Work is all business, which is how it should be, but that doesn’t satisfy any personal needs. I’ve never felt connected at Wesley and, to be honest, that’s not why I go. I go to hear a sermon, maybe see a couple of friends. That’s it. Nav Night is the same conversation over and over. “Hey [blank]. How you doing? How are classes? How’s work? What do you have coming up? Okay, see you later.”
See a pattern yet? My interactions never go past the surface. It’s a rare treat that I get to talk to someone about my struggles, my hopes, the things that get me angry, what I’m getting out of the Word. It’s just not there. I used to get this from Dave every week for more than two hours. I could set my watch to it, so even if there was no one else I’d have him. But I’m not a student anymore, and he needs to focus on students. I understand; I’d make the same choice. But I wish I had someone to take his place in that sort of consistency.
I finally broke down and told some people about this. It was nine days ago at Nav Night. We were having a prayer night and it came time to pray for the individuals in our small groups. I told JD, Brent and Brandon about all this and they prayed for me. I think it’s helped. I’ve had more opportunities to be vulnerable in the last week than I have had in recent memory. But it’s still something that I need to work on.
“It Says He’s Here!” - Last Friday I helped spring a surprise for my friend Lindy. Her boyfriend Josh, who she met in Argentina this summer, was paying her a surprise visit for a few days. He had contacted me two weeks earlier so I could make a request for two days off from work on her behalf. But he also gave me another assignment. I was to video tape the little scavenger hunt he’d planned for her before she got to see him.
A little background information to help you understand the entire story. Lindy went to Argentina for a summer mission trip, but Josh is a missionary there full time. I believe he’s been there for two years. He originally went down with Joel Helms, which is through whom I first met Josh. They started dating this fall after Lindy had already returned to the U.S. To spell it out plainly, this visit would be the first time they’d seen each other since they started dating.
One other piece of information. About a week or so before this surprise Lindy evidently came across an email on JD’s computer from Josh. The email was Josh asking for my contact information. I’m not sure what Lindy concluded that was all about, but I’m sure she thought it was a little unusual.
Let me qualify my next statements by saying that I was happy to help and would still have agreed to help if I had the decision to make over again. With that being said, I must confess that videoing Lindy was one of the most awkward things I’ve done in a long time. Think about it. You’re Lindy. You have no idea anything out of the ordinary is going on. Sure, it’s a little strange that Rachel asked you to come to the airport to help her pick up her cousin. But come on, your friends have been weird before. Then, as you’re waiting outside the terminal, your brother JD and your friend Andrew approach you, JD from your right and Andrew from your left. Why does JD have a rose and a card? And why is Andrew videoing this? So you open the card and read that your boyfriend is here. It instructs you to go back to your house.
And, you see, if that was the end of the awkwardness I think it wouldn’t be worth telling you about. But it continues. JD and I rush back to our car and arrive at Lindy’s house before she does. By now, all five of her roommates know Josh is here - they had been kept in the dark for obvious reasons - and they’re all abuzz. So in walks Lindy and there I am recording every moment. And you can just see the visible frustration on her face. As she receives another card and rose she turns her back on me, but not before saying something to the camera (or possibly to me) to express her discomfort. The card tells her that he’s waiting at a restaurant. JD and I had been in communication with Josh on the way there, and we tried to figure out how long it would take Lindy to get ready for dinner. So we gave Josh a conservative estimate. Lindy, just ready to get to the end of the maze, might have taken all of one step into her house, read the card, and turned back around to leave. So as we follow Rachel, Leigh, and Lindy there (yep, my job isn’t over, and it’s still awkward) we call Josh and tell him that he’s got less time than we thought he’d have.
The plan was for Lindy to get to their table to find a rose, a card and Josh’s scarf waiting for her (remember, it was winter in Argentina when she was there). The problem is that we didn’t know where the table was, and of course Josh was hiding. The hostess was no help. So here we are - all five of us - wondering around the halls together trying to find the right table when, without warning, Josh walks up behind us! Um, okay, I guess this works. So the master plan had sort of a train wreck finish but I’m sure neither of them cared. After taking another 30 seconds of video I was relieved of my duty. The four of us departed with smiles on our faces.
The Love of Money is Blah Blah Blah - I got a 10% raise! I have no idea why either. I’ve only been working at my job for about three months, I’m not really going above and beyond - just ask Katie, I’m gone as soon as my time is up - and it’s not like they’re giving me more work to do to justify it. I guess they really want to keep me around. I can’t complain; it’s a tremendous blessing, especially at this time of year.
He’s Come to Pump Me Up - Yes, it’s true. I’ve started to lift weights with James Barr. I decided that my exercise routine of sitting on my butt for 40 hours a week in front of a computer wasn’t giving me my desired results, so I’ve asked James to whip me into shape. So far everything just hurts. I’ll give it some time.
Don’t Get Too Attached - Last night was the Nav Christmas party, complete with all the insanity that comes with every Nav Christmas party. Playing “White Elephant” with our crew is a hoot. I’m convinced that the best part of the game is the fact that you’ve always got a few hecklers at the top of Dave’s staircase. They remind me of Statler and Waldorf from the Muppet Show, always insulting everything. I thought the gifts this year weren’t as good as in previous years. I also thought my gift would be more popular. I brought customized Apples to Apples cards. I even made eight red cards before I came, one for each of the Nav houses. But no one wanted to steal it. I think the girl who got it was a newbie too, so she might have never played the game before. Oh well, I tried. I’ve got some photos from the party up on Facebook. Click here to see them.
The rest - This week my newest roommate, Porter Williams, will be moving in with me and Scott. I’m pretty excited to get a third person in the house. I haven’t lived with more than one other person since my sophomore year and I’ve never lived with more than one other believer since leaving home. Chateau Special will soon be complete!
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