July 21st: Things I learned (or re-learned)

It's back to normal life now that fireworks has ended. I realized some really important things while I was there...

Living in the moment and enjoying the change in routine should be appreciated. Sitting, reading, and drinking coffee while nothing else is expected of me was very enjoyable. It reminded me of the mornings I was a lifeguard on the most beautiful beaches in the world and no one was there - just me and God. I didn't appreciate those mornings enough.

If felt good to work hard and sweat - to start a task and see it to completion and see the immediate change. Ok, so it was just moving around boxes of fireworks, but so much of what I do has very little immediate gratification.

It also changed our family dynamic dramatically. Last year, Joe and I were at separate stands so we only communicated by phone. It was lonely. This year, we were together. Joe still worked at his day job, but almost every night, he spent the night with me in the pop-up camper. We had no TV, only a radio and we had alot of time to talk. It was great.

It is so bonding to work hard together towards a common goal. It's probably the closest we'll come to what it must have been like for the old time farmers. Start with nothing and work together to the end and see the results of your hard work.

It was also great being with Joseph. He was gone working at Boy Scout camp, but came back on the 2nd. It was great just hanging with him and having him make us laugh. It was also wonderful watching him sell fireworks. He has a gift.

There were days I thought I would surely be the first person to really die of boredom. But, truthfully, how many times, as an adult, do I get to whine "I'm bored" without knowing there are things I should be doing?

I also learned some things about myself that I had forgotten. I get really caught up in accomplishments - degrees, jobs, importance...

My success in fireworks is totally built on who I am and how I respond to others. That's not something I have appreciated about myself with any consistency. Last year, it planted the seed that grew into the question "What if it's about me being me?" That idea has grown into my making every attempt to make every personal contact something Christ would be proud of.

I'm trying to take what I learned and apply it to this 'real' life. We'll see how that goes....