driving...

I forgot my phone at home today... by the time I figured it out, I was 20 miles away and in the middle of a delivery... not possible to go get it.

At first... there was a sense of panic. What if there's an emergency? What if I have a flat tire? What if something happens to a friend and they can't get ahold of me? The last is a legitimate concern. A couple of them are prone to assuming that anyone out of phone range is obviously lying in a crumpled broke pile in a ditch bleeding to death.

And what if I needed to call someone for work... Occasionally, on a delivery, I have to get in touch with someone for assistance. OK... about twice a month... but still, it happens...

But then, inexplicably, I felt a sense of calm come over me. I heard a voice in the back of my head say... "YOU"LL BE FINE"

Got a flat tire? Change it.
Someone can't get a hold of me? They'll call later.
I need to call someone for work? Find a pay phone or better yet... let the dispatcher call them.

I relaxed.

And I enjoyed it.

There's something amazingly and wonderfully liberating about not being at the planets beck and call. It's totally amazing how much the phone bleeping at you interferes with your day.

I drove around. I made my deliveries. I joked with warehouse guys, without having to worry about returning a text. I sang a whole bunch of songs I remembered. (This is actually almost a psychological breakthrough... I have major childhood traumas around singing... don't ask...) I had a great day.

It's true, when I walked into QT and they had 5 liter boxes of wine on sale for a buck... I'd gone in with the idea of buying a lotto ticket, but quite frankly, the odds are better on a box of wine... I really did want to send a message to a church guy. But I can text him later. Or maybe I'll have a glass or three of wine and not worry about it. Hard telling...

And when I had an hour without a delivery, I pulled out a pen and a piece of paper and started writing down an idea that had occured to me for a church devotional. (I sent in a couple during lent and they asked me to keep em coming... oh well...)

Don't get me wrong... I'm not going to start leaving the phone at home. There are legitimate reasons why I might need it on the road. But... I may be turning it off for long stretches of time.

Well, Good Friday was actually OK...

Last year on Good Friday, I made a single delivery, so I took this one off.

Went to rummage sales, found a few good things, and took myself to the flea market to price them and then, changed shirts to go to Tennebrae... now I guess I should tell you what Tennebrae is since I've had to tell about everybody else... Tennebrae is the old name for a good Friday service. Basically, it's a sunset service where you go over the Passion of Christ in reading and songs, while the lights are gradually turned off in the church, until, at the moment of sunset, which is the moment that Jesus died, all the lights go out. At the beginning of the service the altars, and all the crucifixes are draped in black... basically, the church goes into mourning.

It's a very deep and emotional service, that is usually only performed in what's refered to as 'High" churches... Catholic, Episcapalian, Anglican, Orthodox and some Lutheran... but it's actual form varies, and many churches are passing it over. Seems it depresses people.

Anyway, after Tennebrae, we went out for a drink... Really, what's a funeral without a wake, Right? Just kidding, but we were all together on a Friday night, so what the heck...

Saturday, I worked at the flea market all day... had a good day actually...

Easter Sunday was... different...

I'd never been to a Sunrise service before, and we were having one in the churches rose garden, so I decided I'd crawl out of bed at 4 AM... well, for various reasons, I was late... got there just at the end of it. But, even though I was late for the service, I was there in time for the breakfast (some people fast from Tennebrae to Sunrise on Easter, so breakfast is a big thing) and I'm not one to pass up free food, so eggs, sausage and biscuits and gravy.

I decided I'd go ahead and stay for the 9 o'clock service... I didn't really want to go home and come back for my usual 11 o'clock. One of the Assistant Pastors came over and asked me if I'd mind carrying a banner in the procession.

See, after the black drapes are taken down, the chior comes in, in procession, followed by six huge banners that are placed around the sanctuary. I say sure... and after I've placed my banner and am making my way to the pew... the head usher grabs me and co-opts me to replace an usher who didn't show up.

So, I have to pass communion, collect offerings and basically stand at the back of the sanctuary for an hour.

Here's the problem. In true Easter tradition... I am wearing new shoes. And I've been wearing them for several hours. I started out standing in the back all right, but by the time it was all over... NO MORE.

So off for the between service coffee hour where I can sit down and rest my feet when suddenly... Asst. Pastor shows up again, and I'm not really given the choice of whether I want to carry a banner again. I did, however, fairly loudly, refuse to usher again. Primarily by barking before they got the question out.

After all this, I went to an Easter lunch at a church guys parents house, and Thank the Lord, everybody there had kicked their shoes off and I was able to finally get mine off too...

and that was my Easter. Not too exciting, but there we are.

music...

Well, I don't usually inflict my rather bizarre taste on the world at large, but this video from Florence and the Machine made it through... 1) Amazing voice... 2) Amazing song... 3) and as far as I'm concerned... bright blue go-go dancers with brooklin girl wigs are perfection personified... Besides, I looked over my last few posts... and I need to lighten up!