College and Community

There I was in my driveway on Monday night, trying to repair a window that didn’t want to go back up after letting itself down. And, while doing this, the battery died in the truck. I knew it was dead when the window motor stopped making noise and the interior lights got really dim. So, to prove it to myself, I walked around the truck and turned the ignition… “Click, click, click” is all I heard each time I tried. Important lesson #1, the dude’s that change my oil told me I had a bad battery in December. It lasted almost til June. I think I have validation in not heeding their warning because I got six months more use out of the thing. Important lesson #2, I don’t know why or how, but for some reason we no longer have jumper cables or a car battery charger. These are essential to living with any vehicle. So, I bought a set of cables.

Now, for those that made it past the important lessons #s 1 and 2, the jumper cable thing got me to thinking. When I was in college, I had no fear of going across the hall and banging on a door when I needed something. In the dorm where I lived for four of my four and a half years of college, it was like a close knit community. But, here I stood 12 years post-graduation and I looked at my neighbors houses and decided I didn’t want to bother them. But, really, it would have been a great time to get to know them and possibly even share our life with them. But, instead, I got in the other vehicle, drove to Wal-Mart, bought jumper cables and came back to jump the truck off without any help from anyone.

I know I’m old school, but I like small towns and being friends with neighbors. Oh, if the world were a simpler place, I would move back into a college dorm, but somehow I don’t think my wife would go along with that. And, I’m sure it would be creepy for the 18 to 22 year olds too if I were bee-bopping around. So, I am going to make community where I am and I hope that you'll make community where you are. God created us for relationship. So go relate with somebody. Make a friend for life.

Much love peeps!