BEST DAY EVER

Yesterday, I needed to head to Mike's Auto Parts on 52nd and Woodstock in order to purchase a new headlight for my sleek 1995 Honda Accord. Ali was with me, and because we were heading to 52nd and Woodstock around noon, I thought it would be a sin if we didn't stop by Otto's Sausage Kitchen and Meat Market for a hot dog, pepperoni stick, or some other delicious meat treat. Because of my passion for meat, and my ties to the place, we pulled off the side of the road and walked up to the barbeque where some wiener cookin' was happening.

I ordered, grabbed a bag of chips, and reached for my wallet.

The man cooking the wieners spoke a foreign language to me.

"I'm sorry?" I said with hesitation. I could have sworn he said something in English, but I kept trying to roll it around in my head and I couldn't get anything.

He spoke again, but I couldn't understand.

"I'm sorry, but come again?" I said for an embarrassing second time.

"This meal is on the house. The Food Network is here, so if you could just sit inside and smile, that will be of great help to us." After he said this he looked back at the wieners and focused.

I, obviously, stood in total shock.

Here's a little background, so as you can somewhat understand the state of shock I entered upon his statement: I worked for Otto's Sausage Kitchen and Meat Market for an entire year of my life, which gave me enough life material to write a useless book, but nonetheless a book. In my entire time as an employee there, it was made very clear to me that my free lunch, which I received every 8-hour + shift, was the greatest gift one could receive from the Otto legacy. I was told to appreciate it, and to never take this gift of free sausage for granted. Furthermore, during my time employed, I never (NEVER) once witnessed a customer getting anything for free. You dropped your wiener on the ground? Too bad, buy another one. Your pepperoni too dry? That's how it comes, you ungrateful punk. Is the smoked salmon too spicy? There was no such thing as smoked salmon when I was your age, you thoughtless tool.

These were the philosophies of Otto's. As you might imagine, I grew to appreciate, take care of, and love my free meals at the Meat Market.

Flash forward years later as I stand with Ali at the barbeque and I hear a foreign language, nay, a distant tongue, ancient of days!

"This one's on the house," he said as he held a floppy wiener in front of my face. The ancient dialect entered my brain and a flourish of feelings of gold rushed through my deluded mind. This. is. it.

Calmly, I took the wiener, grabbed my chips, and walked inside the shop to eat.

I sat down across from my beautiful lady, collected myself, and looked at her saying, "Best day ever." She smiled in agreement.

A Note About the English Major's Quality of Writing

I would just like to share why I believe English majors graduate being such great writers. I acknowledge that some will graduate and still be sloppy, inefficient writers, but it must be known that for the most part, we English majors can write, you know, okay.

I believe we end up writing so well because American English professors muster up the driest, most boring literature they can find and then ask you to write passionately about it. This makes one both question his/her will to live, but also brings one to realize that if one does not write passionately about this, then perhaps they will not graduate and thus fall into the deepest depression their soul can find.

You see, English majors spend years writing about things that do no interest them, and they get good at it. Then, when the real world hits after graduation, they can get a job anywhere simply because they have been trained to write about anything, even what they despise. So an English major who loves news writing and journalism could graduate and get a job as a cooking magazine columnist and sound cogent, articulate, and passionate.

When I think about this, I'm not sure I look forward to my life.

Oh, Hello There

About once every three or four months, I neglect this blog in order to do more important things with my life. But every so often, I get that pang of procrastination and decide to dedicate my time back to completely wasting it.

SO, hello.

I stepped out for a month because stuff at church has not slowed down, and I'm incredibly excited. I know this blog takes many different forms and you end up suffering through things I think are important. But, on the other hand, I get awkward comments from people who tell me I should keep this bad boy running. And sometimes, you just gotta let a thoroughbred run.

Since this is devoted to things I think are important, I want to give you these updates from my view of the earth, and hope that the both of us don't come out on the other end of this a little older and with less purpose. OK.

1) My greatest excitement and celebration is in the power of Jesus Christ. I've been eating a feast of his Word morning by morning, learning who he is, how great he is, and the joy that comes through the good news.
2) I hate Spotty, the "cat" who loiters in my house.
3) I joined the Atheist club at Portland State. I'm sort of incognito, but my true identity will be revealed to all soon. So far, there's some excellent discussion and I'm learning a lot. God help me, I love 'em.
4) Go Blazers. Sat in section 212 last night. We won by two. Go Blazers.
5) I have too many words for the things happening in our ministry. We're on the mountain top and praying hard. Every week I'm hearing about new life, solidified faiths, and repentance. Furthermore, relationships with kids from all over the city of Portland are being formed, and God is changing everyone in the process.
6) I get to network with great people next week from around the world and it's all because some awesome people love me and believe in me...and got me in for free.
7) I got business cards.
8) Loving a girl as much as I do makes me a bit different, but I also couldn't give less of a crap about that.
9) Heart of Darkness is the greatest novella ever written.
10) Without C.S. Lewis, my faith would be a lot harder.
11) I'm praying for my family every day because without Christ I think we would not understand why a lot of suffering is happening in our lives.

I have a class in five minutes, so eleven is enough. I will end with saying that I've never been more positive in my life that the Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich will never be dethroned as king of lunch sandwiches. It's cost-effective and healthy like none other. I think I may research the PB&J instead of listening to a lecture.

God is at work, see you soon.