Bird Bath

Okay, here goes. My first-ever blog post. Why anyone would want to read my blog is beyond me, but everyone else is doing it and I just want to be like all the "cool kids".So, I read the blog of a friend, Valerie Chandler, the other day. It's kind of weird if you think about it. I haven't really seen or talked with Valerie in a year or two, since she and her family moved to Bentonville, AR (Greg works for Walmart). Nonetheless, I'm reading all about her life with her family. Doesn't anyone else find that the least bit voyeuristic? It kind of feels like spying on other people's lives, unbeknownst to them. But, then again, I guess if they cared who read about them, they wouldn't be blogging, right? Whew. Moral quandry averted.


What I'm saying, I guess, though, is that I can really get behind a method of communication that doesn't require me to mail a letter or talk on the phone. While I don't necessarily mind mailing letters, it usually just doesn't get done. (And have you seen the cost of stamps these days? Poor USPS--they keep raising their prices to compete with all those cheapskates out there who use email and blogging as a viable means of communication. For shame! And, while I'm on the subject of theUSPS, why not just take a moment to mention how I think their business model is inherently flawed? With a communications market as competitive as it is today--so many economically technological possibilities--one would think that to compete with the growing emarket that instead of just raising the cost to send mail, they might switch-up their tactics a little bit. Why not try something NEW to stimulate business, like I don't know...quality customer service? Nah, that clearly doesn't make any sense. How about increased speed and accuracy. No, surely not. People already expect their mail to be lost or arrive late...why change expectations now? Nope, the USPS has just decided to stick with their tried-but-true method of competition: increase the price of stamps and hope no one notices.)


But, I digress, as usual. My point wasn't necessarily about how the USPS sucks (albeit, it is a top-notch discussion topic). My point was to say that I can really get behind blogging because I don't have to send a letter and I don't have to talk on the phone. Which, if you know me at all, you know that I hate talking on the phone. My hope is that now that I'm blogging, anyone who might've expected to hear from me, won't. Instead he or she will learn to just go to the blog. If there's a post, it means I'm alive. If not, call 911.


The thing that most inspired me about Valerie's blog is that she's doing a daily post for the month of November of things she's thankful for. When I started reading her posts, I thought, "That's a GREAT idea! I could do that!" So, that's what I'm going to do for the rest of the month (Isn't it great how I managed to skip the first 1/2 of the month and now only have to come up with 15 posts instead of 30? I'm pretty slick like that!)


Today I am thankful for the little birds dancing in a puddle. I went to meet with a recruiter this afternoon in Dallas. When I was finished with the interview, I went out to my car and sat there for a few minutes checking phone messages (Why are people STILL calling me? They KNOW I don't like to talk on the phone! Those darn bill collectors never seem to remember that, no matter how many times I tell them!) As I was about to start up the vehicle, I noticed 2 cute little fluffy birds playing and splashing in a rain puddle. I don't know why it caught my attention, really. Usually I just run over birds without another thought. But, the sun was shining down and these two little birds just seemed as happy as could be splashing and laughing in their cute little bird-laughing way! Why don't we, as adults, ever splash in rain puddles anymore? When I was a kid, I used to love when it would rain! Mom would let us put on our "swimmin' suits" and play out in the rain (aka the ditches and gutters on the side of the street). When it'd rain at Grandma Lloyd's house, she had large potholes in her long drive that were seemingly deep swimmin' holes! Lookin' back, I can see that it probably wasn't that cool (or sanitary), but when I was 5 or 6, it was FANTASTIC!


Nowadays, I'm so stressed about finding a new job and all the stuff that goes on in everyday life, I never take time out to play in the rain puddles. I rarely see any other adults playing in the puddles either (except that guy down the street--but then again, he also tries to get us to come out and play "freeze tag" with him, and that's just weird). In a random, roundabout way (which is what you will grow accustomed to from me), I'm saying I'm thankful for the little fluffy rain-playin' birdies I saw today because they reminded me of the wonder and awe of childhood. The scriptures teach us that we should become as little children (Matthew 18:3). I forget that precept all-too-often and find myself caught up in a dizzying pace that leaves me feeling drained and discouraged. Maybe tomorrow, instead of preparing myself for gloom and misery, I'll do better at looking at this world with more wonder and awe and expecting Heavenly Father to pour out blessings upon me. Blessings poured out from Heaven leave puddles to play in!