"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9)
There was a male English teacher at Canton (Mass.) High School for about three decades of the mid to late Twentieth Century. His initials were E.S. I don't know if this story is a Canton High School urban legend, but Mr. E.S. was one of the school's hockey coaches. As the story goes, a school bus carrying the hockey team stopped at the home of Mr. E.S. to pick him up. The teacher was SO excited to get on the team bus that he ran out of his house without his pants on!
Yes, we can become so absent-minded that we'll do some crazy things without realizing it. No, I'm not as bad as "Rain Man", but I'm a creature of habit and routine. The move to Webster and trying to juggle a number of things over the past few weeks IS making me sort of "memory challenged"! We moved to Webster on March 5, but we've spent the month of March (and now the first days of April) cleaning up and cleaning out the old Framingham parsonage. On Monday, we turn in our keys to the Assemblies of God hierarchy and are "done" with that property. At this point, I CAN'T WAIT!
Had I been doing "full time ministry" over the past couple of years and were I moving from one pastorate to another, I"d have taken 3-4 weeks off and spent the bulk of that time doing nothing but cleaning up and cleaning out the house. With Mary Ann working a full-time job, and me working a 2/3 time job, we've been trying to do the parsonage work in our "spare time" which is not at all easy. I had the day off yesterday and I had a pretty full intinerary planned. It included doing my laundry, having lunch with a friend who is visiting from out-of-state, cleaning up and cleaning out the parsonage, and showering changing clothes to go to a doctor appointment in Arlington. I had a whole check list in my head, and I methodically loaded the car early in the morning.
I got to the laundramat in Framingham at 7:45 a.m. and got the washers running. I opened the oversized green trash bag which contained my laundry. SHOCK!!! I'd left 90% of my laundry back in Webster! HOW DID I DO THAT?! I got spoiled living and working in Framingham. I was seldom more than three miles from home. I couldn't justify driving 80 miles round trip just to get the rest of my dirty clothes! So, now I've got very little clean underwear! I brought a clear medium sized plastic box with me containing my hairspray, hairbrush, and some other items. Each day that I finish working at the Framingham house, I load my car up with "stuff", and have to unload when I get home to Webster. I got home last night and YOU GUESSED IT: I'd left the plastic box containing my hairspray and hairbrush in Framingham!
One day I forgot my cell phone. Another day, I forgot my lunch, rememberd it after just three miles, and went back for it. I can't wait to turn in my keys to the Framingham house. I just hope I don't lose them!
EMMYS 1970: My World...and Welcome To It
1 year ago
2 comments:
Finally got my laundry done at a laundramat in the Webster area this morning!
I sometimes wonder about forgetting things. I sometimes forget things which should be very short-term memory - but it drifts like away like an escaped balloon!
First, sometimes I may be sitting in my bedroom or in the living room, and suddenly remember I need to go to the kitchen to get something. After the short journey there, I arrive to the kitchen, and suddenly have to ask myself..."Ummm, why did I come to this room anyway?"
Second, I sometimes call out one of my sons to correct them, or tell them something... and only after calling the third name do I get it correct. "Paul, come here, no I mean Joshua...ahh Andrew, um whoever you are over there!"
Is this something wrong with me, or is it just parenthood?
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