Summer Update One

I am nestled in the beautiful mountains of Glorieta, New Mexico. Finally.

In the last 72 hours we have been in Arkansas, Dallas, Iowa, Dallas, and now New Mexico. That's three plane rides, three repacked suitcases, and three foreign beds. I feel like a walking disease. Airplane gunk, port-a-potties, three thousand hand shakes, and a lot of nose blowing (coming back to Dallas is always an allergy invasion waiting to happen). Travelers carry more diseases than flies do, I am sure of it.

Random stories from the last two weeks:
I was sitting at the airport waiting on the guys so we could go through security and I quickly realized there were two lines. No one seemed to notice. So one line was incredibly long, while the other line only had about six people at any given time. People only saw the long line ahead of them, and while focusing their eyes on that, they lost vision of what was right in front of them; a really short line. At first I just watched and enjoyed evaluating human nature. Little critters moving so fast, frustrated, on cell phones, trying to juggle a million things at once, whose eyes were not open.

But I started seeing people I wanted to help. I knew a secret that would save them time. I felt powerful. Awful waste of power, I know, but I wanted to just help certain people. First there was a stream of military members who had just gotten back from Iraq constantly walking by. I would say, “Hey” to each one of them and then quietly tell them there was another security line that no one was in. They were grateful and my power kingdom expanded. I told some old people. One girl who was about to miss her flight and a few moms. I generally neglected all men. And stupid people.

Finally a TSA agent came and told the whole group about my secret line, and totally ruined my experiment, but it lasted for a good twenty minutes or so. I've never felt that kind of power before, perhaps that is what it feels like to be rich...to have the ability to pick and chose who you help with your money.

I realized that day that if I were God, I would have a hard time being an equal opportunity employer. I help cute looking old people, moms, anyone in the military, and sometimes just weird people because I feel bad for them in general. But punk teenagers, people with too much make-up, most men, and anyone with an ear piece cellphone I pass on. I ended up feeling like a villain. Having power is not all it is cracked up to be.

Speaking of Men
I will confound the male species with this next thought, but it has been irking me. I want to take my own bag off the conveyor belt at the airport. I know, I know. I should love chivalry and I do and I am so glad there are still a few guys that have it. I just don't want it. But only at the airport. And I want you to be able to read my mind about that, because I want the chivalrous actions other times and basically I want to pick and chose when I can have it! Opening doors? Yes. Insisting on taking my luggage off the belt at the airport? No. Offering to carry something heavy once I already have it in my hands? Yes. Taking my trash for me? no. Offering me your jacket? Yes. Yes. Yes!!!

You see guys, what we need are flexible mind readers. Because I want you to be sweet to me and take care of me, but dangit, I haven't taken my suitcase off a conveyor belt in years, and I just want to know that I can still do this!!!

Girls
I have been trying to have "girl parties" at camp this summer and they are so fun. This past week one of the youth ministers gave me money to go buy chocolate for the party... and with my mad budgeting skills and the help of Wally World, I ended up with 72 pink cupcakes, 6 bags of chocolate, a pink table cloth, pink confetti, and lovely plastic serving dishes. When I go girl, I go all girl.

Myself
I love what I am doing right now. I owe you two book reviews which I will post tomorrow (Leaving Microsoft to Change the World and Irresistible Revolution). I pinky promise on that one. Sometimes, for me, it is not very clear if I am in the "right" place. Am I doing what I should be doing with my life? Am I happy? Is God honored? But right now because of so many encounters, so many whispers and nudges from God, and so much joy...I sort of know. This is where I am supposed to be.

Thank God for moments of feeling content in the midst of chaos.