Thursday, September 13, 2012

Imagine If They Could Talk?


Watching our children grow was a blessing and a joy each day in many ways.  Imagination is one aspect that was always fun and interesting.  We encouraged the cultivation of their imagination.

“Aaaahhhhh, Mom!  I thought my cowboy was really talking to me!” Chris exclaimed.  We both looked at each other and laughed.  I walked over to the shelf to place Mr. Cowboy gently on top.  “It is fun to pretend, isn’t it?  Wouldn’t it be cool if Mr. Cowboy could talk?” smiling, I asked. 

I replayed the whole scenario in my mind.  While a 4 year old Chris was in the bathroom brushing his teeth and talking animatedly with his father, I scrunched in between the wall and his bed.  I was lying on the floor waiting for his arrival.  Listening, I heard Chris’ little feet skipping down the hall.  Pitter pat pat.  As he entered his room, his skipping suddenly stopped.  I could only imagine the surprised look on his sweet little face, when he saw the cowboy standing on his bed and talking to him.  I walked the cowboy forward on the bed and said, “Hey, Chris, how are you doing, tonight?  We had fun today didn’t we?”

Kids have vivid imaginations.  In fact, my kids had such vivid imaginations that their toys seem to be real.  “Mom, I think I saw Barbie move!” or “Dad, my lion just swished his tale back and forth!” or “Let’s use this box as a car!”  To imagine something is to think a situation could actually happen no matter how “out there” it could be.  We encouraged our children to pretend everyday.

Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”  People should imagine the impossible everyday.  This creating, writing, designing, and inventing are all the results of healthy imaginations.  Creative thoughts or imagination bring about knowledge to us.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Facing My Fears

Seeking a job to cover our cost of living expenses, developing new friendships, obtaining prescription transfers, traveling in big city traffic, and being hours from our home are some of the fears I faced.  In June of 1983 Steve and I relocated to the Kansas City, Missouri area.  All of us have felt fears at sometime during our lives to some degree.       

The first fear was searching for an apartment.  I had allowed well-meaning friends and loved ones to plant seeds of doubt.  “It is not safe in Kansas City.  I sure hope you find a secure place.”  Steve and I traveled to Grandview, which is a suburb of Kansas City.  We looked at several different apartments; some apartments we definitely did not want to rent; others apartments we may want to rent; and lastly one we definitely did want to rent. 

The apartment we decided to rent was a one bedroom domain with a fairly large living room, kitchen and dining room area, and bathroom in the Briarwood Apartment Complex on the ground level.  I particularly liked the huge sliding glass doors, because I enjoy a lot of sunlight.  Most importantly, I was grateful to feel safe.

Another fear was leaving a land with which I was familiar to a land of unknown.  A few days after we found our apartment, we loaded up two pickup trucks and our two cars with our furniture and belongings.  We were grateful to Steve’s brother in law and sister, Wayne and Jane, and my mother and brother, Buddy, for helping us on moving day.    

The following Sunday we found a church to attend, Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church located at 48th and Wabash.  We are grateful to have found a church to call home. 

On Monday my husband left for pharmacy school.  I was left alone in our apartment.  I was afraid to go out by myself. I had plans to pick up groceries at the nearby Safeway and transfer a prescription to the pharmacy in that shopping center.  Having never traveled through a huge city, I was challenged.  I made a few wrong turns attempting to cross over highway 71, but I figured it out. 

One fear I never crossed my mind was meeting rude people.  I stopped at the pharmacy to transfer a prescription.  It felt like the pharmacy technician glared at me.  “We cannot transfer this prescription without a written prescription from your doctor!” she said.  My stomach began to knot up as I left the pharmacy.

I picked up groceries and found my way back to our apartment.  At least the grocery store welcomed my check to pay for the groceries. 

“I just feel so unwelcome in this city.” I told Steve.  We had time to travel back to the pharmacy to obtain the prescription. The technician I spoke with must have been having a bad day and was confused. This time we were able to get the prescription.

Finding a job was another fear.  The next day I began searching for a job.  I called businesses, filled out applications, and interviewed for several days.  During this process I got lost in this huge city several times; but to my surprise people were friendly and helpful.  It felt frustrating, but looking back I was learning everyday.

Facing these fears everyday began affecting me.  My stomach began to hurt and hurt.  The pain occurred more and more and became more and more intense.  On one particular morning while Steve was dressing for school, I said, “Steve, I may have to make an appointment to go to the doctor.  This pain just won’t go away and I don’t know what it is.  I don’t want to, because we don’t have the money.”  Steve said, “You have to take care of yourself.  Perhaps, you should just stay home and rest today!” 

After Steve left, I thought, “I have a job interview that I will not reschedule.  I must be there.”  In the shower I prayed, “Lord, how am I going to be able to get through the interview?”  Suddenly, I thought came to me, “Just pretend you feel great!”   I began saying out loud, “I feel wonderful!  I feel energetic and healthy!  I am happy!  My stomach does not hurt!”

I continued this all the way to the destination for the job interview.  I met, spoke, and toured the lab facilities.  I enjoyed talking with the people there.  I traveled home and began preparing supper.  I realized at supper that my stomach was no longer hurting.

The next day my stomach was not hurting.  I felt so much better.  What was it?  Steve and I decided that I was just stressed, since I was in a big city with no friends and/or relatives, and without a much needed job.  It was a new experience all together.

Think about it.  My fear was all in my mind.  My fear produced stress and it caused my stomach to ache.  Once I decided to face these fears and in my mind to tell myself how I was going to feel, my situation changed.  Amazing!

Over time I did find an awesome lab research assistant job at the Kansas University Medical Center working and learning with some interesting and great people.  I learned my way around without getting lost in the big city.  I made many friends.  In fact, living in Kansas City was an amazing growing experience for Steve and me.  We are thankful. 

Someone wise once said, “Face the fear you fear the most and death of the fear is certain!”

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Outrageous!!


Who wears lime green boots?  Who spends hours acting out stories with GI Joe action figures and Barbie Dolls?  Who enjoys the experience of wadding through mud puddles?  Sound a little crazy?  It is definitely out of the ordinary and unpredictable.    Doing something outrageous was fun and has created great memories for me.

As the rain pelted down, Hannah and I dashed into the 4-H Extension Office one rainy late summer afternoon.  Shaking water off of ourselves we heard, “Where did you get those bright, lime green boots?  Those boots look like they could be 4-H boots!” a 4-H leader and friend asks.  Smiling Hannah says, “Yep, it is the reason I chose this color for my boots!”  We all laughed together.  Wearing dark blue jeans and green 4-H T-shirt with green boots to set her attire off, Hannah beamed with green.  At that moment more 4-H friends entered the Extension Office commenting on her boots. 

After taking care of business, we left the office where a huge puddle of water had formed in the parking lot.  What did Hannah do?  What is the most obvious and fun activity to do after a nice rain?  Yes, wade directly through the middle of the puddle.  “See this is another purpose for wearing my boots, today!” she exclaims with glee.  She and her friends laugh more.

This little incident brought back a memory from my past.  I was 7 years old.  Watching the sky become dark and a cloudburst of rain hit the ground, my brother and I were excited.  We played with GI Joe action figures and Barbie dolls pretending all sorts of scenarios with the loud and stormy weather.  The rain and the play occurred for hours until finally the rain stopped and the sun burst forth in its brilliance.  Looking out the window, I said, “Look at that huge puddle in the driveway!”  “Wow!” exclaimed my brother.  “Wouldn’t that be fun to wade through?  Let’s go ask Dad and Mom.”

Running through the house we found our Dad and Mom in the family room reading the Sunday newspaper.  “Dad, Mom, can we go outside to walk around and to walk through mud puddles?” I asked.  Our mom distractedly replied, “Sure.”  We scurried to retrieve our rubber boots. 

Running out the back door, we laughed with glee.  We, first, walked through the front and back yard observing how beautiful and greener the plants were.  We waded through small puddles gradually working our way up to wading through bigger and bigger puddles.  We arrived facing the huge puddle.  “Wow, I wonder how deep this one is?” asked my brother pointing to the enormous puddle.  “I don’t know, but I am going to find out.  Let’s go.”  We slowly waded through.  Each step we took lowered us a little deeper into the muddy water.  Each step splashed dirty water on us.  The water was up to the tops of our knee high boots.  We just kept walking back and forth in the puddle and splattering muddy water all over us.  “I love it!” my brother exclaimed.  We laughed and laughed, while whooshing back and forth. 

At that moment we heard our mother’s frustrated voice in the screen window.  “Bill, just look at our kids out there in the mud puddle!  They are covered in mud from head to toe!”  I looked at my brother.  I looked at myself.  I had not realized just how much dirt we splashed on ourselves!  “You kids get yourselves in here right now!” ordered our mother.  Our mother met us at the back door.  She asked, “What were you doing?  What were you thinking?”  I said, “We asked you if we could wade in puddles.  Remember?”  My mother replied, “Yes, but I didn’t think you would get so dirty.  I didn’t say you could do that!”

We were in a little bit of trouble; however, it was worth it.  What kid, young or old, can resist wading through puddles?  It had been a great rainy day for us indoors and outdoors.
     

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Getting Better


“Congratulations!” said a college classmate of mine.  “I am so proud of you!” said friends of family members.  I graduated from Southwest Baptist University in 1978 earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology with special emphasis in Chemistry and General Science.  I was excited about teaching biology at Morgan County R-II Schools.  I knew I would be starting a new career, but at the same time I thought, “Whew, I can finally stop studying so much.”  Little did I understand that when I stop growing, I could not grow into a person of character and I could not help others as successfully. 

It didn’t take long for my life to get stuck in a rut.  As a student in school I was growing and learning everyday.  Even though I continued to learn from my students to a certain extent, my personal growth had ceased.  In fact any growth I obtained was accidental instead of intentional.

The rut I had fallen into was planning to start tomorrow rather than insisting on starting today.  I wanted personal growth to occur, but I was not taking responsibility for my personal growth everyday.  I was learning from my mistakes.  How would me life had been if I had learned before my mistakes? 

I see where I was a hard worker, I persevered many times, I followed through with my commitments, and I did like learning.  Looking back once in a great while I would read personal development books, but never consistently.

Here is the deal.  For the past three years I have dedicated myself to constantly improving myself.  I read and listen to personal development books and cd’s everyday.  I, also, include attending events to listen to inspiring speakers.  All of this is done in correlation with studying the Bible.  It has changed my life.

Many times I find myself accomplishing things that used to scare me.  Today, I confidently speak and do things without a thought.  I become excited when I realize that I have grown.  It is an awesome feeling and I love it.

As time marches on I realize that I am not just getting older, I am getting better.