before everyone got there, i noticed a little puppy sleeping on his bed under the coffee table...i knew he wasn't real, but everyone likes to touch things, so i went to 'fake-pet' him under the chin (because i'm pretty sure i can even win over a fake dog)...and his head pretty much swung away from his neck, as if on a hinge; i asked natalie about this, and she informed me of a slight mishap with some young family members. good times.
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| he was sleeping so peacefully that even a swinging neck couldn't wake him. |
i have realized that no matter how many times i try to like catch phrase and give it a chance, it just doesn't work for me. i'm pretty sure it's the countdown timer that irritates the crap out of me. anyhoo, we also tried cranium (which i do enjoy), but i'm pretty sure everyone else got bored with it. then we moved to balderdash, which was very fun-i love that one as well, and we ended up back at catch phrase before the evening was over.
i think i'm more into games like pictionary, word games...apples to apples..volleyball...regardless, we all had fun!
when maria walked in, she gave me an awesome magazine, which i have read through, and may consider subscribing to. and then her husband gave me this awesome keychain, which i immediately put on my key-biner.
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| some great articles! |
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| partly to see what people say! great conversation starter!! |
tuesday night was our final meeting-apart from our culminating event. it was a great session, and as much as i sometimes dreaded losing a tuesday night, it is always so worth it! i always leave enthusiastic about the possibilities for change.
this afternoon i stopped at target to get some items i needed, and when i was walking the cart through the parking lot toward my car, i saw an older african american gentleman walking away from another lady and pushing her cart to the corral. i tried to avoid eye contact as he approached me because i thought, great, he's going to ask me for money too. and sure enough, he held out his hand where he had some change and asked if i had any change, because he needed gas for his car, they were trying to get back to duncanville, just need $5 etc. well, i didn't have any small bills nor did i have any coins. i had just gotten a $20 while i was in the store, but i got it for a reason...
i looked to see if i had any change in my purse, and avoided looking at the $20, then i looked at all i had bought, and thought how petty of you not to help him put $5 into his car. what's $5?
so i pointed to the gas station and said, meet me over there with your car and i will pay for your gas. at first i don't think he believed me, but he started walking and i drove over to meet him there. well, when i got there, he was walking up, his wife was on the other side of a busy street (beltline), and it took her an awfully long time to get through traffic and pull in. i'm sure the gas attendant people were wondering what i was waiting around for.
i grabbed two waters and at the last moment, i decided that $5 wasn't enough, and paid for $40 worth of fuel for the couple, gave them the water and wished them well. it just seemed like the right thing to do. i don't know what their circumstances were, but i do know the story of the good samaritan...and i just got paid...you know how some people grow up and say, "i sound like my parents!" well.. i didn't have to say much, but i'm pretty sure i can say(proudly), "i act like my parents."
i don't know how many times they have done things like that in order to help people out, knowing they will never be paid back for their kindnesses. there is not a more powerful lesson, and i couldn't love and respect them more! thanks mom and dad!
julie
