Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Ahh...fall...

Here it is again. Fall. Gotta love it....the air; the colder temperatures; the falling leaves... As I've mentioned before, I love this time of year. Now, if we could just get all this without all the rain then we'd be set.

I was looking through a bunch of old Facebook pictures the other day, which, naturally, got me thinking about the past (something that I probably do too much of), and how strange it is that people are in your life for a season before moving on with their lives. It's happened to me before, but it's still pretty weird when I realize it. For instance, there's this guy I'm friends with on Facebook that I haven't seen in years. I mean, years. Like I was 5 the last time I saw him. And apparently, he and I were best friends way back then. Now he's married, and I know next to nothing about him.

A more recent example is the Perry family. Cody and Christian were two of my best friends growing up. I remember playing Ninja Turtles with them, hanging out at church, and having sleep-overs all the time either in Ragley or Moss Bluff. We went to the same church; Cody and I had a crush on the same girl there. Mr. Ed and Mrs. Cathy were almost like second parents. I remember crying and crying when I found out that they were leaving to go to a different church in the same town. Now, all was not as I feared, of course. We kept in touch, and I was even in Mr. Ed's Sunday School class.

*Sidenote* - Mr. Ed, if you ever read this, thank you so much for that class and for all the times you let Jared and I invade your home. You challenged us, and cared about each one of us individually. You always wanted the best for all of us; even when you might have thought we were being morons. You gave and gave and gave; never asking for anything in return. You truly were an awesome man of God.

I'm starting to feel that way about high school and college friends as well. I know that some of them will always be there if I need them, no matter the length of time that passes like the Perry's, Kade, Ken, Ryne, Bill, Jimmy, Lyndsey, and David. I'm incredibly thankful for that. There's no way I deserve one friend of this caliber, yet I've just named 7 plus a family of 4.

And I can't help wondering if I've had as good of an impact on them as they have on me. Have I done as Mr. Ed did and cared, challenged, and gave of myself without asking for anything back? For the ones that I don't really talk to anymore...is there anything that I could have done to change who they are now? I realize that I can't take responsibility for anyone's life but mine, yet it's still something that I think about every now and then....

Ahh well.....

I'm very excited for Friday! The OE group has decided that we're all going to dress up as Harry Potter characters! I'm going to be the one, the only.....SEVERUS SNAPE!!!


I have the cape, outfit, hair, and wand! It's going to be awesome!

Quote of the Post:
Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words. -Edgar Allen Poe

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Lonely Weekend. Good Weekend.

This has been great. The roommate is out of town. Katie is with her family. And I am here in the apartment alone. I think I might have possibly said 17 words out loud all day yesterday (mostly during the LSU game). Seriously, it's been great. Especially after the last few weeks...

I was lead teacher for one of the best group of 4th graders. Willis Lane Elementary came by our neck of the woods Wednesday for three days of Outdoor Education fun! Those kids were seriously awesome! I told them that at least three times over the course of their stay. Seldom have I seen a group of kids that big (139ish) and that young be so attentive and cooperative.

Campfires this week were epic. I had both of them (Monday and Thursday) with the one and only, David Huss. While we had the classic pair of Banana Bandana and Hidey Ho!, we also had two great Boom-chicka-boom contests, both of which I won! Harry Potter style - for the win!

I turn a quarter century old tomorrow. 25. It's pretty crazy. My birthday present from me to me is a brand new 32 gig iPod Touch! That also is pretty crazy. My old iPod kicked the bucket on Wednesday so I figured why not?

It's raining right now. And it's cold. I love it!