Ups, Downs, Life, Sobriety

Sirens, wind, hail and uncertainty. The big question mark behind these moments in time quickly arouse anxiety, fear and worry for some. Yet, for others, their adrenaline pumps vicariously through their veins! They are the ones standing outside, chasing storms without an ounce of worry and some type of awkward joy. I think the one thing all of us can relate to whether we are the ones chasing the storm or the ones overly prepared for the sirens is the devastation that can always occur which is why each party has a plan. So, let's explore the storm. We may not always see devastation or walk away with physical bruises yet we all in some way will carry a bruise afterwards. Construction workers loose ground and days. Farmers loose days of work and crops, etc. Gardens are affected, flowers wilted. Strays left cold and seeking shelter. Children loosing sleep with their parents comforting them. Pilots flying in adverse conditions. Drivers having to pull over or slippery roads. Even...

Garbage:  . wasted or spoiled food and other refuse, as from a kitchen or household. . a thing that is considered worthless or meaningless.  Yuck, right? Also, kinda sad.  Landfill:  . a place to dispose of refuse and other waste material by burying it and covering it over with soil..  Hmm.. burying, covering up.  Both definitions are loaded and most definitely not ideal. I don't think there is one person who enjoys the smell of garbage and/or the looks of it! If I'm wrong, please let me know.  Garbage is everywhere. It decorates the streets you drive on every day. Adorns the parks our little humans play in. Hang like ornaments in trees. Crumpled pieces of paper delicately dancing in the wind. Being the Americans we are today, we keep chugging right along. Dancing the cycle of life with the floating piece of paper. Speaking of which, how many times have you crumpled up a piece of paper and tossed it? Me? Quite a lot. Most of the time no...

Can we just speak about Joseph for a minute?! Wowza! This dude, excuse the slang, had an amazing attitude considering his circumstances. We're talking about sibling rivalry, slavery, and prison. Could you imagine? Any and all who know me would vouch for me kicking and screaming and holding a turnip into the sky towards my Lord! Why AND where are you?! I suppose if I were to be honest, I do that now! Circumstances in my world are FAR from what Joseph went through. We owe Joseph a huge thanks for setting the bar. And man did he ever set one. Thanks a lot Joseph! You guys, the more I think of his story the more I am in awe of him. And here's why: Potiphar's wife tried to set him up and he bolted. Just like that, gone! Would you have run? Or would you have put up a fight? Bucked up, perhaps? During slavery, Joseph committed to being the best slave he could be. Seriously? I have been in situations that felt like slavery and boy did I fight. Not only did I...

May I relish for a moment on this simple, yet loaded word? Pause. Yes, thank you! For some, this type of establishment is associated with books, research projects, kid activities, etc. Libraries are great to have in a community. For me, my library became a constant form of hope in a shaking, troubling time. I knew every day walking to and from work it would be on the corner. I knew every day that opening the doors would come with the same smiles. I knew that every day whether they wanted to or not they engaged in conversation with me. Those bits of encouragement would usually leave  tears in my eyes. I knew every day when leaving, the brick building on the corner, it would be there again tomorrow. Same women. Same smiles. I knew the next day when opening those heavy doors they would have the exact book I would need to "escape" in. Weird, isn't it? How could a library have such a role in my journey? Well, these ladies loved me, maybe, regardless they were ...

Lack of peace. Anxiety risen. Stress level raised. Lack of motivation. Fear. Common sense missing. A tad bit of frustration. Who am I kidding? A lot of it! The list goes on... I know. You may be asking, where is this going? What does this have to do with driving a bus? Well, everything. Yes. Everything. You see, when I get in the bus and start driving and attempting to control life I often run into curbs, miss stop signs, fail slowing down, ignore maintenance in a timely manner... You do get the picture, right? I must remind you that my heart during this process means well and also means no harm, yet it happens ever so subtly. The past few weeks I've been highly disturbed. That feeling prompted a search team to look high and low for the answer. Prayed. Cried. Secluded myself. Prayed again. Rinse, repeat. Of course in these situations when the answer does come, it arrives like a swinging sledgehammer. Mondays, my son and I attend an AA meeting in our small town....