I Didn't Walk by Faith.....At First..

"Walk By Faith" is the name of the current bible study I am taking on Wednesday mornings. I try to apply what I learn to my everyday life but I missed a huge opportunity to walk the walk. Winterfest 2009 was a approaching and I really wanted my 13 and 15 year old to participate in this wonderful retreat for teens. The trip was Friday 5pm until Monday 5:30pm, wow. My husband was not keen on the idea and I thought at the last minute they were going to be saved by a earlier commitment that I forgot about. I started searching for coats and bibles, they hardly use either. Packing was a real challenge when one kid is threatening to run away and the other is making himself sick but I kept going. The trip to the church was delayed when my older son hid for 45 minutes under our 4 year old son's bed. The time in the van started with me apologizing for not making them go to more teen activities when school started because they would have made friends and be a little more eager to attend. When we turned into the parking lot I saw a kid carrying an unrolled sleeping bag up the stairs to the church, I was relieved that we had not missed the buses. They refused to get out of the van. I found the strength to carry 2 large duffelbags and 2 sleeping bags up the stairs, they felt like feathers, thank you God. I registered them, tagged the luggage and started up the stairs for the task of getting them out of the van. I was in a sweaty state of panic but I spotted that unrolled sleeping bag but a different person was holding it and she was trying to fold it. I walked past her but doubled back, I apologized, explained that I was a former Girl Scout and asked if I could roll her bag. At that point I realized that maybe my sister is correct when she says I am bossy and controlling, I had to help the poor girl, my Girl Scout leader Mrs. Wilson would expect nothing less, back to the boys.  There is a tiny vestibule next to the main entrance and that is where I cried out to God for help. When I got to the van and it was empty, I pictured them walking down Diehl Rd. without food, coats or cell phones. I kept reminding myself that the rest was up to God, I got them to that point and I was spent. I went into the gym and found them sitting and eating pizza, WOW, God is good. We walked to the buses and hugged. I have left out the ugly parts to protect the guilty, but they know what they did and maybe one day they will apologize. I didn't walk by faith until the very end I should have turned it over from the start. My current small group prayed for my boys but I had doubt even as I prayed. The youngest returned from the trip and said that he had a good time and made friends, the older one would never give me the pleasure of saying anything positive, Brian Urlacher could have been his group leader and he still would have insisted that it was the worst time of his life. I am so grateful they went because I know they got something out of the experience and I got to paint my 13 year old son's room with Chicago Bulls official colors and he was pleased.

One Mother

Why is it that as adults your mother has the ability to cut to the core and make you feel like crap (I gotta find a better word)? No matter how successful, adjusted and complete you feel your mom can pull the rug out from under you in ten seconds or less. When I pick up my mom at the train station after her 55 minute commute from the big city I can clock how long it takes her to dig into her bag of insults. Just like the excrement flinging primate she hits me right in the kisser. Her best time is 6.5 seconds, if our high school wrestling team could pin opponents that fast we would be undefeated. The top 3 are, 1. "Why did you move here, it is to far and to dark?" 2. "Why were you late, you wouldn't treat ________(insert any other relative"s name) like this?". I have never been more than 5 minutes late and only because she refuses to read the train schedule prior to leaving home. She prefers the Russian Roulette method of blindly leaving home only to arrive at the station without a goal in mind. If she just missed a train and the next one is 2 hours later, fine. She has the uncanny ability of arriving exactly 2 minutes before the event she is coming to witness. But if you start the day my saying, "Mommy the followings times are great so that we won't miss the graduation because we are picking you up", she will reply, "I won't be rushed, I will get to the station when I get there, you know I have an illness". I digress, where was I? 3. "The train conductor singled me out and tried to have me thrown from the train because he took my ticket and forgot. He did it because I am black", so was the conductctor. Once she hangs up her coat she unloads the big guns, someone has either gained weight or lost (they were fat the last time she visited). It's late but insist we serve her whatever we had for dinner, "I normally don't eat like this so late, in fact I ate on the train, could you put the leftovers in the refrigerator?", "Does your husband always cook this kind of food, no wonder you guys are so big, hee-hee?" and finally, "Is that new?" (pointing to an item that was there the last time she visited) "It must be nice.".  I feel pressure to lie by saying we found it in the trash or got it hot from the flea market, it probably came from Sam's Club where she to can shop for good deals since we added her to our account but Mayor Daley won't allow Walmart and Sam's to open in her area because he is in the back pockets of the unions, but I digress. It boils down to as an adult your mother can cut you to the quick but when I am threatening my teens, I can't penetrate the wall of defiance. In 15 years when I exit that train in their towns it will be equal to the tornado scene from The Wizard of Oz.

Slumdog Millionaire (Spoiler Alert)

I enjoy a great film especially if it is at matinee price in a near empty theater, in the middle of the day. I applaud cleaver writing that delivers from start to finish. There is nothing worst than a smart powerful start that fizzles as if someone stood over the writers shoulder screaming "Hurry up the producer is waiting" so they type "The End". You think to your self, "That person wouldn't do that." or "Why did the story take that quick lazy turn?". Fasten your seat belt you are in for a bumpy intelligent ride that will have you crying, laughing, on the edge of your seat and cheering. It is filmed in India but it is a great American story. We think poor people in our country have it hard but in countries like India they would consider an apartment in CHA an amazing upgrade. Each person character's was developed as a result of the hand that life dealt them. I don't condone children that steal and con people but this was their way of rising from the ashes of their circumstances. Dev Patel, the actor who portrays the lead was outstanding. He grew up in England and prior to the film he had only been to India once at 7 years of age but he nailed the core of a slumdog. I regret my husband and teen sons did not express interest in seeing this film, it really makes you understand what it means to win the genetic lottery by being dropped off on this part of the planet. If you were lucky enough to be born in America that's half the battle, the rest is up to you. 

"I'm Mad As Hell And I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore!"

"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" As I remember that is close to what Peter Finch's character shouted out of an open window in the movie Network (1976). I spent the entire President Day weekend painting my son's room which gave me the opportunity listen non-stop to conservative talk radio and my iPod, yippee. It is no secret that I listen to WLS 890 AM and now 560 AM all the time, every radio in my house is programed to either one of those and 820 AM on Saturday morning, Go Jake Hartford! Sunday night I had steam coming out of my ears, by midnight I could have powered a locomotive. It finally hit me what has happened to Americans, it started slowly 2 years ago and now it has grown to an unbelievable level. One of my favorite movies includes all of the remakes, Invasion of the Body Snatchers ((1956). Kevin McCarthy's character looks directly into the camera and pleads for help in disbelief that no one will listen to him (IMBD). Just prior to the election I sent an email to friends (Libs & normal people alike) looking for answers from Democrats as to how they could vote for a person with Obama's record. I was ripped to shreds for daring to ask such direct questions, I was told never to talk to certain friends about politics ever again, I was ordered to remove folks email from future political mailings, they were much to delicate to read such harsh words like "lack of experience" or "Christians supporting unlimited abortion" but I never got and answer to one question asked. We were told he was the candidate of Hope/Change and if we wanted the country to be saved he had to be elected. I normally get along with Dems/Libs in fact some of my dear friends and family members are from the other side of the aisle but prior to the election these mild mannered individuals became blood thirsty trail blazers for the first black president. America had to right the wrong of slavery and the treatment of blacks by electing a bi-racial man who is not a descendant of slaves. But now all those supporters with the yard signs, bumper stickers and tacky knock-off t-shirts have become emotionless drones that are either silent, uninformed or just to darn busy to be passionate enough to follow what the media appointed Messiah is up to since he became president, to quote one of the greats Dana Carvey as the Church Lady on Saturday Night Live, "Isn't that special, how convenient." Day two since he signed it and I have yet to hear a liberal say one good thing about the stimulus package. This bill was like Christmas morning for every liberal cause from global warming (I am sure God laughs at the concept that we can effect his creation), ACORN, endangered mice etc. Let us alone President Obama, we are Americans we have survived worst without a boost.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMBZDwf9dok&feature=related

I Don't Have a U!!

In 1983 after a very short time away I returned home from a nearby university. There were a stack of reasons why I came home but I honestly felt I would continue my education at a time when my life was less crazy. Well, surprise surprise I never went back. I have had good jobs mainly because of my long work history and my embedded work ethic. There were times when I convinced myself that college didn't make a difference in day to day life. I now know that finishing school is very important. I assume that had I graduated I could diagram sentences, speak confidently about Greek mythology, chug a mug of beer at a bar designed for fellow alums. Years ago I was shocked to learn that there were bars that catered to a specific clientele that attended certain schools. I had no idea that downtown Chicago had a bar that I.U. (Indiana University) students and alums can go and mingle. Since January I have gone to the gym regularly and as I pound away on the treadmill that faces a walkway I see that 50% of the patrons don university t-shirts. I have several shirts from a local university because my daughter attends the school but I don't have my own "U". I am bothered more than ever that I cannot proudly display my support of my almamater. I am a little bitter and jealous.