My serious side has been out way too much lately - what with employment decisions, thoughts of where to live long-term, MBA?, church and family, etc. Damn.
I told Jenn today that it doesn't matter where we are in life; I am happy as long as I am with her. She is a prize beyond anything I could ever hope for. She makes life worth it.
Do you ever just have random memories pop into your head while about your day to day activities? I do. All the time. I should write them down throughout the day because who knows when my mind will decide to bring them to my attention again. I don't control that.
Tonight we are making a lentil soup to pack in our lunches. When I think of lentils I think of the first time I had them (remember it at least). While on my mission there was a lady who wanted a blessing (prayer) said in her behalf by some missionaries - but there were none nearby. They called myself and Esteban Diaz to go visit her and pray for her. She was sick and lonely. After we left it was too late to go to our apartment so a local family offered to let us stay at their house. As the mother was from France - she made us a French version of lentil soup with slices of hot dog in it. After the late meal it was time for bed. We slept in the room of their young son. It had train tracks running around it with other wood-carved toys. Being the Christ-like missionary Esteban was he insisted on sleeping on the floor since it was "more comfortable." I got the bed. We woke to another North Carolina morning.
In my last area of my mission I was training a new missionary - Hiroshi. One day we were riding through a forest area with a lot of trailers. I was up ahead of him when I heard a "thud." He had been clothes-lined - literally - and you could see the rope mark under his nose. I apologized profusely because upon seeing that he would be okay - I could not stop laughing. A great story this will make - I told him. Especially at our big meeting tomorrow in Raleigh. Week one complete.
This was not as bad as what happened to the next two missionaries in that area. One was struck down by lightning right on a doorstep - about to preach the good word. A prayer and a life flight later - he was okay. A fate not known by the two missionaries in Romania who suffocated from a gas leak in their apartment last week.
Back when I was little boy, my brothers and I would play basketball in the hallway upstairs. We had a little plastic ball and a little plastic hoop. We jumped around and yelled...and even had a shouting match here and there...until mom would tell us that we had played long enough and took the hoop down.
Maybe I will jot down a few more stories that pop into my head while I am auditing Domino's this week. I just might try that new pizza recipe they are bragging about - but then again maybe not. That lentil soup smells promising.
