Responding Abnormally

For about five minutes yesterday, I completely hated myself.

Crystal gets home after 6 p.m. as of late due to the hours that she has to work during the summer (she nannies for a family in North Dallas). So since I rarely hear my phone ring I missed her request for me to stop by the store before she got home.

Thus, when she did get home, we ended up going to our friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart for some goods.

Let me paint you a picture. Imagine you live in an area with few or no other similar forms of retail, where incomes are low, and the desire for everyday low prices leaves the public gasping for breath. Welcome to your West Dallas Wal-Mart. Run. Over.

So we get our things, wait for the lady two people ahead of us in line to cross-reference every other grocery circular in the Southwestern United States for each individual item (in both of her carts, which were filled to the brim), (did not know Wal-Mart price matched Ritz Crackers), we checked out and headed for the car.

As is common, as we approach our car, a man approaches us. There are people that hawk tamales and other items in the parking lot, as well as a number of other folks wandering around and having an all around good time with their homies.

I know what's coming.

Him: In the gentlest voice possible, "Excuse me sir, I was wondering if you can spare a dollar, I just got in town and ..."

Me: (In my mind) "Yeah, yeah, yeah, you just got in town, you ran out of gas, your grandmother is sick and all you need is for me to cash this check for you. Uh huh. Sure."

Him: "... haven't had anything to eat."

[Our simultaneous response]
Me: Sorry man can't help you. (I am a liar.)
My More Loving Wife: I think I've got a couple of bucks here for you to get something to eat.

Me: (In my mind) "I am a despicable excuse for a human being."

Him: "A guy took my wallet so I don't have an ID, do you know of a shelter that will let people stay without an ID?"

So he proceeds to tell me about this specific church in Grand Prairie and a pastor there who is trying to help him get his ID, and how they're supposed to be overnighting a copy of his birth certificate to this church so the pastor can take him to the DPS office. I offer a few recommendations aside from the places he had already named, though I know the chances of anyone taking in a guy without ID are extremely slim.

I have no idea if he was telling the truth or not. Doesn't matter really.

The entire point of moving to West Dallas was supposed to be that we would be put in a position to care for people and be an example of Christ's love in the community. In this instance I failed miserably. Thankfully my wife was there to spare me further angst and disappointment.

I know we will have many more opportunities, I pray we will. Just a reminder that just because we moved somewhere others don't want to be doesn't make me any less of a worldly jerk than I was three weeks ago.

The Joys (or Non-Joys) of Home Ownership

Three working toilets. Just being able to type those words is nothing short of glorious.

Honestly, I feel spoiled. After 24 days we now have all of the toilets in the house operating normally. And as of an hour ago, both showers function normally. Well, that's not entirely true, the guest bathroom shower only seems to have three water temperature settings; hot, scalding, and medieval death. We're still working on that.

The denim sparkle paint in the downstairs 1/2 bath is pure bonus, and it's growing on me. Don't think Crystal is getting as attached as I am though. I am not embellishing when I say it sparkles.

Our neighbors have chickens, and for some reason, this pleases me. It's like they went out of their way to meet my expectations. I'm thinking of not replacing the 6 missing slats in the fence that seperates our yards for fear of not being able to observe the chickens.

Where to Begin ...

I'll start by saying I don't think this was ever a part of my plan for life. I mean, seriously (yes I consider this a sentence, don't despair you'll get used to it). You go to college because society scares you into thinking that if you don't, you'll end up living someplace awful, far, far away from P.F. Chang's (though it's really only 12.7 miles from here to Northpark).

I should follow by stating the fact that this place is far from awful. Yes, there are people living within very close proximity that are experiencing awful things, without much hope for improvement, but the locale isn't completely the reasoning behind that.

There are trees, hills, and many other things you find in Highland Park. (Highland Park is simply an example, I have never resided in HP.)

There are also junk yards, dilapidated warehouses, overgrown lots, boarded up houses, and much more. There are Payday Lenders ready to drop a 400% interest loan on anyone desperate enough to seek it out, or, anyone who can't (or chooses not to) understand the terms.

It's mostly quiet, save for the occasional serenade of pumping Norteno music that floats by seemingly every hour on the hour.

The insects are larger here. The flies go right for the inner ear canal every time. There is surely an Al-Qaeda training camp for flies nearby.

On the other hand, people here actually stand in their front yards and converse with their neighbors. This is a completely foreign concept to me. I like to have all of my interactions pre-planned, so I may struggle in this area for some time.

My hope is to update this blog once per week, sometimes more often, sometimes less. I'll always strive to keep it entertaining, and more importantly, honest.

It is time for us to head over to the local mecca of shopping that is Wal-Mart. Always low prices, always interesting clientele.