It was a fasinating experience, one I suggest that some of you would never enjoy, entertain, contemplate, consider or so much as wink about. However perhaps everyone should do it at least once in their lifetime. Or maybe fifty times just to get it right. I am not sure that it can be done correctly. Not now. Oh sure, at some time far far away, a long time ago, in some far distant land, somebody had it right. But now that I think about it, we, all of us, had better figure out a way to get it right.

What?

Last Tuesday I worked as a election day polling agent.  The entire day. All of it.

Nine votes were cast. 


It was a long, tedious process with so much redundancy if someone were to try and commit voter fraud he would have to do it in triplicate. And then the fraud plan would need to be placed in a large envelop, to be sealed by a plastic seal, then a paper seal and then in a larger purple envelop before attaching the return receipt signed by both party representation and finally packing the assemblage in the blue suitcase. (The legendary blue suitcase has been in every election since 1964. No one knows what it is for so it continues to be used.)

Obviously I got home and recovered as I am typing about the event. And yes, I plan to do it again. After all, I have to see if we ever break into double digits.

This Morning Over Coffee

We had finished up today's visit regarding the initial stages of conversation. We then started rambling into another area; sacrifice for learning. Which lead to sacrificing for Jesus. Out of curiosity, I asked what he would give up in order to follow Jesus. While sitting, pondering the question, I suggested the family business.

"Oh yes, absolutely," was his quick reply.

I commented that his response was rather fast and that it could not have been that great of a sacrifice. Anything else perhaps? What would real sacrifice be for him.

He thought again, very hard. Suddenly it looked as if he had been hit in the stomach. His face collapsed and he inhaled a mighty breath. I'd never witnessed such a vivid response to an introspective question.

Slowly he turned and looked at me, "I would give up my dreams."

What total submission could there possible be. He was giving his future inside self, all he was learning, hoping, planning for, building on, the totality of him--his dreams.

He breathed again and sat quietly. Then a smile came from within his face and infected the skin. He was beaming. And free.

He told me that he had been very afraid as soon as he said that he would give up his dreams and then he felt peace. Those are his exact words.

Getting To The Good Stuff

Today was my first meeting with Bible Study Fellowship in NYC.

After taking the A train to 125 Street, transferring to the C, going to 79th Street, going up top and catching the cross town M 79 bus, I enjoyed a beautiful ride through Central Park. Then I alighted amid Manhattanites going about their morning rituals on Madison Ave. and 79th Street.

Walking south to 73rd, it was a glorious morning. And then I hit the filming signs. No, the actual filming to be correct.

It had to happen. One cannot live in NYC without stumbling over a live TV set in the streets. I did today. After going around the lighting, through the crew and tripping among the cast (I think) I was able to get to BSF.

I'd never heard of the show. None of the ladies at BSF had either. The show must be televised in a different market.

I love the line in "League of Their Own" regarding baseball where Tom Hanks says "If it were easy, everyone would do it".

Today should have been hard like that. But today was more rewarding than hard, like extra paper around the candy, a moment's delay before the good stuff.