It’s been forever since I posted on here, though I have been writing faithfully in my personal journal. I’ll let your imaginations run with that fact. It has been such a crazy few months. Plus I looked on my analytics and saw that 300 people had read my blog and it made me kinda shy. Of course, if I’m going to make a public journal then the public will read it, but I didn’t realize hundreds of people from all over the world were reading about my life and my thoughts. I’m usually so private with it all and it kinda freaks me out to put it all on display. But I’ll just get over that and keep in mind that most bloggers probably have a lot more readers and that probably only one person ever came back to read this again after their initial visit, so I really am still writing to myself.
With that said, this week I had an awesome experience at work helping check people’s car seats to make sure they put them in their vehicles correctly. After a week-long training, it turns out that I’m certified to do that kinda thing. Me, who has never had kids and who only once ever put in a car seat before the class and realize now that it was a horrible job that one time, checks people’s car seats to make sure they’re safe. It’s really fun because the kids are incredibly cute and they get really happy about their safe seats (most of them at least haha) and there are lots of different cultures that come into these checks.
The last family to come in this week was a refugee family from Sudan. The only Sudanese person I’ve ever met before that day was this guy raising money in Immigration canyon who had a little table with oranges, cookies and water for us cyclists. I looked that little station from heaven, which is what I felt like it was after a hot day and all my water was gone after the climb. The mid-day sun was beating so asked him, very concernedly, if he was getting sunburned. I felt really stupid after and wanted to roll the words right back into my mouth and into my head and reconsider asking that question, but it was too late (not that this is the first time that’s happened to me).
This time it wasn’t just one man, but three huge families and a whole lot of women who came in with their beautiful headdresses. Even the one-year-old wore one. The kids were so beautiful with their dark skin and starkingly white eyes in contrast, curious and searching, and their big smiles. As I was demonstrating the car seat installation to the mother of a 3 year old girl, the little one started stroking my long hair. With her extremely short, curly hair hidden under a headwrap, the girl was fascinated to see someone with incredibly long, straight, exposed hair tumbling all over as it does. I realized at that moment that people from other countries are just as interested in our differences and culture here in America as we are in theirs. I get so bored with my surroundings sometimes and really want to go travel and live in other countries and see the world, but I have to remember that this is a good place where I am too. Just because I know here and am used to it, doesn’t mean it’s not amazing. And America really is amazing and I am so grateful to live here. But being around other cultures and connecting with them is one of my greatest joys.
Another impactful work moment was at a BBQ at Westminster College promoting no texting and driving. I invited Reggie Shaw, a young man who killed two men from texting and driving, to attend and say a few words and he was able to come! Though Reggie has spoken for my program for years, after working here for about a year, I hadn’t yet had the privilege of hearing him speak in person. And what an experience it was. As he started speaking, a lot of people were talking and eating and behaving as typical college kids in an outdoor commons area would, naturally. I was really worried because Reggie’s story is so personal and he’s so vulnerable up there and I wanted people to show respect, but I shouldn’t have worried. Once he got into his story, how he was texting and driving and killed two men and how he has to look at himself everyday in the mirror and own that, the entire outdoor commons area was completely silent. It was incredible. You could have heard a spider crawling in that huge open space. (I only say spiders because my roommate and I both found HUGE ones in the basement, recently and then she got this spider tablecloth for Halloween--umm...). Anyway, it was silent and people were in tears. He is the most remorseful guy in the world and would do anything to take it back. But he can’t. And that’s the important message here. Sometimes our actions are irreversible and we must remember that before we act.
Reggie volunteers to speak, doing it just because he wants to make a difference and influence people to think twice when they are behind the wheel. It made me so compassionate for others’ lives and remember that though I’m definitely struggling with my own trials, it really could be worse. Reggie is such a good guy and he has to live with this everyday. He told me that he initially thought it would get easier with time, but it doesn’t. There are some consequences that will have lasting effects. I believe in the Atonement of Christ and know that His sacrifice can repair damage and heal hurt, but it doesn’t mean it won’t hurt. And it doesn’t mean we won’t sometimes do stupid things. But the less stupid choices we make, the better off we’ll be. Not the most profound statement, I know, but I need to remember that myself. We really do make our lives harder or easier depending on our choices. Not saying only our choices affect us, but they are a huge factor.
