Are You There God? It's Me, Dawn

So I really like alternative music...it's probably my favorite type of music.  That may not seem like a grand statement, but I am usually greeted by raised eyebrows...especially from Black folks.  Then I find myself assuring them that it's okay, because I still like R & B...not as much as alternative, but still.

Anyhoo, I was listening to NPR and heard this great song.  I waited patiently as the DJ talked and chatted and blahed and blahed...then he finally told me who I was falling in love with over the radio.  

TV On The Radio.

An alternative band with Black members!  Yay!  So I'm not the only one!

Anyhoo, there stuff is so good...I can't even tell you.  I was ten miles from home when I heard the song, so I kept repeating the name so I wouldn't forget. 

It worked for the most part.  I mean, I put in "TV for Dinner" when I first Googled it, but I quickly got my act together.

Check out the link above, it's their myspace page.

It's high quality listening. 

This is something I wrote last October...really fits the bill for today though! 

Me: *yawn* Time to get up!

Bed: NO!!

Me:  Seriously, I have to get up now.

Bed: Come on, just stay with me for a few more minutes.

Me:  Alright...let me hit the snooze button so I don't go back to sleep.

Bed: Thanks girl, plus...you've already got that spot all warmed up.

Me: (nine minutes later) Gotta go, gotta go!

Bed: Are you sure?  Don't you want to stay here for just a while longer?  You've been saying how you were tired.

Me:  But I've gotta work.

Bed: I'm just saying...if you're tired, you should stay here a while longer.

Me: Okay.  *hits snooze button*

Bed:  Hee hee.

Me:  (nine minutes later)  I'm serious now!  I've got to get up.  I have to pray, get breakfast, watch the news...

Bed: Yeah, yeah, yeah.  You'll have plenty of time for prayer if you skip breakfast and just go straight to work.

Me: That's true. *hits snooze button*

Bed: *mumbling*  This is just too easy.

Me:  (nine minutes later)  I'm not listening to you!  I'm getting up right now.

Bed:  That's fine. I'm sure you feel really rested...not tired at all huh?

Me:  Well, I still am kind of tired, but who isn't?

Bed: You could stay a while longer.

Me:  *bolting from the bed* I'm leaving...now! 

I wonder if those folks who get neck tattoos regret it.

I like tattoos.  I have tattoos.  I just feel like a tattoo on the neck has a…I dunno…a I’m-gonna-be-on-Cops-one-day feel to it.

Am I wrong?

So I'm usually not one of those church folks that attribute every little thing to God. You know...thank you Lord for this close parking space and whatnot.

But today while I was taking my clothes out of the washing machine, I saw a piece of a pen I'd been looking for...you got it. I washed the pen with my whites. *sigh*

I pulled out one piece. Then the clicking part. Then the actual inside tube containing (I guess it'd be more accurate to say "contained") the ink.

To entirely grasp the threadbare nature of my nerves, you'll have to understand that I'm new on the job...trying to get my team together...waking up at 4 am everyday...not getting home until 9 pm most nights...eating dinner five minutes before brushing my teeth to go to bed...having to schmooze while doing all of this...stressing about whether I've messed up in some major way and just don't know it yet.

Suffice it to say that if I'd gotten ink all over my clothes (while I did laundry between my 6 am practice and 10 am department meeting), I would have just sat on the floor and cried.

Seriously.

That's just something I couldn't have taken.

Wouldn't you know that as I pulled out piece after piece of clothing (which were all ink free!), I thought about how awesome God is. How He must have known...just known...that one more thing and I'd be a useless puddle of goo.

So no, I don't think that God wanted my clothes ink free.

But I do think He cares about me. And for that I am infinitely grateful.

A friend of mine said something good the other day:

It's a matter of timing. I feel like the both of us are at the point in our lives that many guys can be the "right" guy. We're reasonably successful at work, we're firm in our faith, and have a decent idea of what we want for our future. Now we just need to plug the guy in there.

What do y'all think about that? I was intrigued when she said that and found myself nodding my head. Obviously, my guy would have to be a Christian, like athletics and be in decent shape, have similar goals...of course there'd have to be an attraction. But I feel like a lot of guys meet those criteria.

I've never been a big "soul mate" person, but I don't know...

What do you think?

Since I've been working like a dang three legged dog, it nine o'clock at night and I'm just now eating dinner (yes, that's right...I got to work at 5 am).

What am I eating?  Thanks for asking!

Boiled corn...local of course.  This is Small Town, WI afterall.

Yummy chicken & feta sausage from Whole Foods.

Tasty cherries...also from Whole Foods.

What are you eating these days? 

I’m excited.

Why?

Because I’m in Small Town and I don’t know why…I just know that God wants me here.

I don’t know who I’m going to meet or what I’m going to do…but I know what I know.

And Small Town it is!

My take on all of this is that God has a fabulous sense of humor and has chosen to plop me in a town full of folks who wear saggy jeans and doo rags.

*sigh*

But they’re also folks here who genuinely care about me.  More trees than people.  The cutest squirrels ever.  Stop and chats on the front porch with neighbors.  Open windows at night for the cool air to come in. 

And I’m looking forward to watching the leaves change colors.  And walking to work in the snow…and the inevitable fall during that walk.  And making new friends.  And falling in love.  And making a life here.

I’m excited about life in Small Town.

How far would you travel for love?  Would you be willing to relocate for that person? 

Ladies, would you relocate without a ring?  Fellas, would you propose to someone you're dating who lives in another state?

Would you start out a relationship as long distance?  How long do you think you could keep it going?  What about if it started out with the both of you in the same city, then one of you had to move?

Answers people...I want answers!  

One of the things that I love about church is watching people worship.  I’m sure I’m not alone, but looking at someone else enjoy a song makes me feel God on a deeper level.

This weekend, the pastor where I was visiting (always with the visiting…*sigh*) talked about this.  About why this is one of the reasons that God wants us to come together and not just love Him at home.

You never know when your smile will brighten someone else’s otherwise crappy day.  I believe that about everyday though…not just Sunday.

I think we owe it to the people we love to share our joy…and our sadness.

Don’t you think that’s why we read blogs?  We want to share in each others successes and lift each other up through our failures.

I think some folks are exceptionally good at lifting people up and if I keep my disappointments to myself, they don’t get to excel…and I don’t get to feel better.

Case in point: I was telling a co-worker about my horrific Small Town experience and not only did he sympathize, he also relayed stories that were very similar and as funny as mine.  And he let me know that I wasn’t snobby and I definitely wasn’t wrong in getting out of Dodge this weekend.

I’m so thankful for you guys out there and also the folks here that I can see and touch…without y’all, who knows where I’d be?

*group hug*  Thanks guys!!