I was talking to my mom yesterday. (Loosely translated into English).
Mom: "I had a dream. I got a "feeling" that you'll be married by September."
me: (silent guffaw) "September of what year?"
Mom: "This year!"
me: "Um. I'm seriously starting to doubt your gift of prophecy"
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Sunday, January 06, 2008
pity
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! -Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
So these days, I've been training with my helmet on. Partly because it's a good way to get warm (ie. it's freaking suffocating). Partly because it makes everything a little bit harder (ie. it's freaking suffocating). And partly because my new haircut is so freaking short that strands come out of my ponytail so I need to clamp them back - even though the only thing I told the hair lady was that I needed to be able to tie it back. Sigh. Incompetance and hair in my face - my two pet peeves.
Anyways, so after all the cardio, I realized I hadn't had anything to drink for an hour, so I ran into the locker room to grab my Gatorade. Unfortunately, I realized too late that the cleaning guy had already been thru the women's locker room, and it wasn't dry yet. In a spectacularly uncoordinated display of flailing, I managed to step onto the soapy residue, let out a scream, have both my feet slip out from under me, crash my knee into the wall, and land squarely on the back of my head. Needless to say, I was immobilized for awhile on the ground - soaking in the soapy clorox-y floor cleaner which didn't feel all too clean.
While all this was happening, my friend - if I can call him that - does nothing. Even after time goes by, as I'm trying to yell his name to come help me because I can't move, and resorting to kicking the door with my good leg to get his attention - he's completely unconcerned. Nothing.
So granted, the music was on and he was probably standing close to the speakers, so I can understand if he might not have heard me ask for help. But to my credit, S was changing in the other locker room across the way - behind another set of closed doors, and he heard me. And upon later argument - ADP did hear me scream and see me fall initially.
Lucky for me, I was wearing the helmet, by the time he would have gotten annoyed at waiting and came to check if I was OK, I probably would have been unconscious.
I know this verse is used to explain why the Bible says we need community, that we need to make friends. I guess as I think about it more (and as my head hurting reminds me) - it's not so much about having people around (though that is also important). It's who those people are and what kind of relationship you have with them. And I guess it comes back to the card in the back pocket. When it comes down to it, who is going to stick around when it's ugly, it's inconvenient, when it just plain sucks?
Chin once gave this illustration when he was going through a disappointment with a friend - this will sound better with a Trinidadian accent, but only if you know him, I guess.
What if you were riding a bicycle, and you fell off and hurt yourself? What would a friend do? Does he run over and criticize your riding technique, telling you what you did wrong? No! His reaction is to come and pick you up, and see if you're OK. Judging by a friend's reaction, you can tell how they actually care about you.
So I guess my own disappointment forces me to think a bit. What if you slipped and fell? What would a friend do? I don't think it's so unreasonable to expect a friend to be concerned. Perhaps help you up. Perhaps not belittle you for being prone to injury.
Maybe I need some new friends. Or maybe I should walk through life wearing my helmet.
So these days, I've been training with my helmet on. Partly because it's a good way to get warm (ie. it's freaking suffocating). Partly because it makes everything a little bit harder (ie. it's freaking suffocating). And partly because my new haircut is so freaking short that strands come out of my ponytail so I need to clamp them back - even though the only thing I told the hair lady was that I needed to be able to tie it back. Sigh. Incompetance and hair in my face - my two pet peeves.
Anyways, so after all the cardio, I realized I hadn't had anything to drink for an hour, so I ran into the locker room to grab my Gatorade. Unfortunately, I realized too late that the cleaning guy had already been thru the women's locker room, and it wasn't dry yet. In a spectacularly uncoordinated display of flailing, I managed to step onto the soapy residue, let out a scream, have both my feet slip out from under me, crash my knee into the wall, and land squarely on the back of my head. Needless to say, I was immobilized for awhile on the ground - soaking in the soapy clorox-y floor cleaner which didn't feel all too clean.
While all this was happening, my friend - if I can call him that - does nothing. Even after time goes by, as I'm trying to yell his name to come help me because I can't move, and resorting to kicking the door with my good leg to get his attention - he's completely unconcerned. Nothing.
So granted, the music was on and he was probably standing close to the speakers, so I can understand if he might not have heard me ask for help. But to my credit, S was changing in the other locker room across the way - behind another set of closed doors, and he heard me. And upon later argument - ADP did hear me scream and see me fall initially.
Lucky for me, I was wearing the helmet, by the time he would have gotten annoyed at waiting and came to check if I was OK, I probably would have been unconscious.
I know this verse is used to explain why the Bible says we need community, that we need to make friends. I guess as I think about it more (and as my head hurting reminds me) - it's not so much about having people around (though that is also important). It's who those people are and what kind of relationship you have with them. And I guess it comes back to the card in the back pocket. When it comes down to it, who is going to stick around when it's ugly, it's inconvenient, when it just plain sucks?
Chin once gave this illustration when he was going through a disappointment with a friend - this will sound better with a Trinidadian accent, but only if you know him, I guess.
What if you were riding a bicycle, and you fell off and hurt yourself? What would a friend do? Does he run over and criticize your riding technique, telling you what you did wrong? No! His reaction is to come and pick you up, and see if you're OK. Judging by a friend's reaction, you can tell how they actually care about you.
So I guess my own disappointment forces me to think a bit. What if you slipped and fell? What would a friend do? I don't think it's so unreasonable to expect a friend to be concerned. Perhaps help you up. Perhaps not belittle you for being prone to injury.
Maybe I need some new friends. Or maybe I should walk through life wearing my helmet.
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