Saturday, September 27, 2008
Church Work Day...
A couple times a year our church sponsors a day when members can come and help clean up the building and the surrounding areas. Today was one of those days, and boy, I sure didn't feel like getting out of bed this morning. I played ball hockey til after midnight last night (I'm sore today), hung out with my nephew Josh for a while afterward, and then didn't end up getting to sleep until quite early this morning. But needless to say, I dragged myself to the church and started doing one of the many yardwork tasks that needed to be done (after fighting with the ancient church lawnmower for a while first - "Come OUT, you foul pull-start impeding, gas-mixture disturbing demons from the underworld!").
For the past 2 or 3 weeks I had been advertising the church work day with the youth group. I trumpeted the merits of pitching in and lending a hand, and of doing something that is selfless and giving back to the community. But you know teenagers. I know teenagers, too. I used to be one! So, in all honesty, I had low expectations.
However, one teenager did show up. It was the one who is often disruptive in meetings. It was the one who picked a fight with another kid and then later tried to embarrass me at youth camp. It was the one who often takes prime opportunities to be silly, to the point of major immaturity, in an effort to be noticed by everyone.
It was Heng. And in my tired, possibly grumpified state, I thought I would have to work extra hard to get him involved in the work day.
Was I ever wrong.
I asked Heng what he'd like to do, and he simply replied, "whatever you ask me to do, Dairn." I had him sweep sidewalks, while I mowed (and fought) with the lawn mower. Then I asked Heng to pick up garbage all around the daycare grounds and our bus parking lot. He gladly worked, by himself, making the place look a whole lot better.
Heng isn't the fastest worker. He's not the most conscientious. His thick glasses make it difficult to see every scrap of garbage to be picked up and every pine needle to be swept. But he was the only representative from our church youth group there. And he worked 3 hours today, without breaks, and without complaining.
I'm sure that others had important things to do today. And I'm also sure that some just didn't want to get out of bed (me included). But working with Heng brought me a fresh perspective and a jolt of joy. Over pizza lunch, Heng told me that later today he would be working to help his mom clean his house at home and take piano lessons as well. I offered him a ticket to come with me to the football game tonight, but he politely declined saying "it's not really my thing."
I already told him this in person, but thought I'd write it down too. Heng, thanks for the work you put in today. Thanks for being so willing to do whatever I asked because you "just want to help". I'm really proud of you buddy!
One last thing, not that this should make any difference, is that Heng has a form of autism and he struggles in social and learning situations. It didn't hinder him today though, as he turned the tables and taught ME a thing or two about serving....
For the past 2 or 3 weeks I had been advertising the church work day with the youth group. I trumpeted the merits of pitching in and lending a hand, and of doing something that is selfless and giving back to the community. But you know teenagers. I know teenagers, too. I used to be one! So, in all honesty, I had low expectations.
However, one teenager did show up. It was the one who is often disruptive in meetings. It was the one who picked a fight with another kid and then later tried to embarrass me at youth camp. It was the one who often takes prime opportunities to be silly, to the point of major immaturity, in an effort to be noticed by everyone.
It was Heng. And in my tired, possibly grumpified state, I thought I would have to work extra hard to get him involved in the work day.
Was I ever wrong.
I asked Heng what he'd like to do, and he simply replied, "whatever you ask me to do, Dairn." I had him sweep sidewalks, while I mowed (and fought) with the lawn mower. Then I asked Heng to pick up garbage all around the daycare grounds and our bus parking lot. He gladly worked, by himself, making the place look a whole lot better.
Heng isn't the fastest worker. He's not the most conscientious. His thick glasses make it difficult to see every scrap of garbage to be picked up and every pine needle to be swept. But he was the only representative from our church youth group there. And he worked 3 hours today, without breaks, and without complaining.
I'm sure that others had important things to do today. And I'm also sure that some just didn't want to get out of bed (me included). But working with Heng brought me a fresh perspective and a jolt of joy. Over pizza lunch, Heng told me that later today he would be working to help his mom clean his house at home and take piano lessons as well. I offered him a ticket to come with me to the football game tonight, but he politely declined saying "it's not really my thing."
I already told him this in person, but thought I'd write it down too. Heng, thanks for the work you put in today. Thanks for being so willing to do whatever I asked because you "just want to help". I'm really proud of you buddy!
One last thing, not that this should make any difference, is that Heng has a form of autism and he struggles in social and learning situations. It didn't hinder him today though, as he turned the tables and taught ME a thing or two about serving....
Thursday, September 18, 2008
A Rolling Stone Gathers No...
Late in August I began to have some back pain. It was in my lower back and I figured it was just because I had been fighting with a roof-top travel "pod thingy" (that's the technical term - the original Latin is extraluggagious frustratus) on the van all the way back from the Okanagan. I didn't have a key to lock it, so every time I went over 100kph (that's 60 for you 'mericans), it would flip open and the lid would flap in the wind. Of course, other freaked out drivers would wave and honk and point, and I'd just give a knowing smile and pull over (again) to secure our empty pod thingy.
All that to say that I thought my back was sore from the stretching way up to put that sucker back in place more than a half dozen times. But, alas, it wasn't the issue. It turns out that no amount of exercise or Advil was gonna cure that lower left back pain. And one night it was particularly excruciating, so I gave in... I made an appointment to see the doctor.
He didn't touch my back. He never even looked at it. I just explained everything and he said, "Well, there's muscle, a kidney, and a urinary tract back there. I'd guess you passed a kidney stone into your bladder - that was the pain you've been experiencing." He went on to encourage me to "catch" the stone when it finally came out, because they can apparently test them to see how it was formed and such. He rambled on about how passing a kidney stone into the bladder is probably the closest a man would ever come to realizing the pain of childbirth, blah, blah.
I didn't really hear much because I was thinking about the second phase of this kidney stone experience (and the pain it might produce), and believe me, catching the thing was not high on my priority list! Needless to say, I've been looking down into urinals more than I have in the past. So far, nada, zilch, nothing.
Phew.
The kidney stone thing was painful, but if it's anything close to the size of a baby, that scream you'll be hearing from clear across the continent will be me....
All that to say that I thought my back was sore from the stretching way up to put that sucker back in place more than a half dozen times. But, alas, it wasn't the issue. It turns out that no amount of exercise or Advil was gonna cure that lower left back pain. And one night it was particularly excruciating, so I gave in... I made an appointment to see the doctor.
He didn't touch my back. He never even looked at it. I just explained everything and he said, "Well, there's muscle, a kidney, and a urinary tract back there. I'd guess you passed a kidney stone into your bladder - that was the pain you've been experiencing." He went on to encourage me to "catch" the stone when it finally came out, because they can apparently test them to see how it was formed and such. He rambled on about how passing a kidney stone into the bladder is probably the closest a man would ever come to realizing the pain of childbirth, blah, blah.
I didn't really hear much because I was thinking about the second phase of this kidney stone experience (and the pain it might produce), and believe me, catching the thing was not high on my priority list! Needless to say, I've been looking down into urinals more than I have in the past. So far, nada, zilch, nothing.
Phew.
The kidney stone thing was painful, but if it's anything close to the size of a baby, that scream you'll be hearing from clear across the continent will be me....
