I feel like a little bit of honesty is always appreciated in life right? Well, I am writing this message as I fight off a battle going on in my stomach with whatever that was that I just ate for dinner. Food is made to go down the stomach, not the other way, and I feel that the ‘other way’ is fast approaching. I have found that taking my mind off of it helps. Yes, I have had enough experience with this issue over here that I have come up with my own home remedies! In all honesty the food is great, I just struggle with some particular meals maybe! Anyways, I mentioned a little bit of honesty and that was quite a bit. I apologize for those of you running to the bathroom now! If only you could see what I ate and then would you really be running! Wow, I need to get to the point or I am going to lose all my faithful blog followers!
I wrote a few weeks back about Mondays and the battle therein. Most of you might remember that excerpt better from the haircut with a nice topping of grease, but it ultimately pointed to how God continues to deliver me from Monday mornings. I don’t want to limit Him to Mondays, actually, when He does far beyond that, but for my stories sake just go with it. Thanks. Well yesterday made for yet another interesting story to tell on here (Which is what I am always after mind you, a good story for the blog…in those three dots right there please pick up that sarcasm in that last clause, you may place it in the garbage bin on your way out.)
Well, this Monday started off very similar to most other Mondays. It actually ended fairly normally as well with me watching Days of our Lives and Oprah as usual, dinner at 7ish, and then soccer at 10. Oprah was in rare form yesterday talking about some woman who got her face mauled off by a chimp, but I still only see dollar bills whenever I see that woman so I have a hard time hearing her sympathy for others. Not sure where that came from. How do I go on tangents when I’m writing? Anywho, it was in my afternoon in Manenberg that the excitement took place. I usually go on Mondays to remind the guys when we are meeting during the week because chances are they have forgotten over the weekends. I am fine with this as it gives me more opportunities to be with them in their home environment and I also just enjoy being in Manenberg. I was talking with one of the guys on the corner and he skated away and left me with his buddy that I did not know. Well, I was content to chat with this guy and he and I began to have a conversation about his life. He has a pretty typical story it seems. He was married but then divorced because he couldn’t hold a job, now lives with his mom; it wasn’t his fault that he lost his job, etc. I was enjoying our conversation because he had these great pictures of what America was like. He assumed that Texas and Tennessee were the same place and I pretty much just went with it because trying to explain otherwise is way to difficult and it really doesn’t matter. He assumed that I must be a cowboy and know how to rope and spit and stuff. Role-playing is a social work intervention technique so I just assumed the role. Around this time about 5 cop cars swing down Storm’s River road and start pulling off the road. One truck stops right beside us and the officers storm out of the car and tell everyone to get against the wall. I sort of look around in confusion as my new friend kinda laughs, but in a still serious tone says to get against the wall. I saw this as an incredible cultural experience so I did. If someone could have taken a photo of this I would have paid big bucks for it! 5 or 6 coloured gang members or drug dealers and my new friend and I against the wall! The officer begins to pat me down (slightly enjoyed this, only because I am tickalish) and asks me what I am doing here. I told here that I was a missionary (somewhat true, but once again, I just went with the easy answer. I felt that if I tried to explain that I was a social work student working with High Risk Youth she might just pistol-whip me). And by the way I keep saying she…it was a she, yes, but one of those women whose husbands stay at home and haven’t uttered a word in years out of fear of being smacked. I mean she was like 3 of me, 4 if I just left the restroom. Regardless, after I told her I was a missionary she responded by saying, “I don’t care.” And this is where Smart Alec Tobey almost made an unwelcome appearance and responded to her statement by saying, “Then why’d ya ask, Sharlene?” (Her name wasn’t Sharlene, but it fit her…her personality?) Well, she continued to pat me down and I continued to fight back laughter because she was touching my bum. (I imagine she enjoyed it. I had done my daily squats just minutes before her arrival.) Then we she realized that I was not packing anything (outside of my huge muscles of course) or storing any drugs ‘she’ went on her way. As all this was going on my supervisor was down the road in his car watching all of this. He found it appropriate to honk his horn as frequently as possible to provoke laughter. Totally unprofessional.
The rest of the day went pretty normally. I had lunch with 3 gang members and drug dealers. One of them looked me dead in the eyes and told me if he had to he would kill me. I told him he’d have to catch me first because I am extra quick. He laughed. It was a good day. And I’m not lying about anything here, I mean I know I can embellish a story with the best of ‘em, but seriously do you think anyone can make up that type of stuff? Didn’t think so. Enjoy your day. Take advantage of each moment.
By the way...I spent more time thinking of a clever title than I did the rest of this deal so please find that funny.
If you are having a bad day imagine me slapping 'Sharlene' on her bum after I was finished with the pat down and telling her, "Good work out there Tiger. Keep up the good sweat." Not sure where that came from, but that kept going through my head as she patted me down!
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