Peasant

Looking for Love like a Peasant.

The Spode found this article and it's convincing enough to almost make me want to email the church member who wants to set me up with her co-worker or to ask the weatherman to lunch after chuch on Sunday.

Grrr...

"Boy, I wish I had your job! You never have to be in the office! Let's trade!"
-said to me, on the phone.

Ummm, I'm sorry that I was gone on Thanksgiving vacation and I'm sorry that I wasn't in the office on Friday (my day off). I know you meant it as teasing, but you should know that I work. I work a lot. Sure, let's trade.

Social Currency

Alaina posted something a couple weeks ago that I agreed with, and was something I had been thinking about in a related manner for quite some time. I feel I should preface this post with an, "I'm just pondering these things," and that, I do love my family. A lot. Anyway, continue reading.

In Oklahoma City, the things that make up my identity, my reality are that: I'm a churchworker at a large church with a youth ministry that is exciting, challenging, and frustrating, all at once. I'm also a member of a small group with people that I love and care for like family. I am someone who likes to vist McNellie's on a Tuesday for talks about theology and politics. I am someone who has decent taste in music, someone who buys clothes that are occasionally trendy. I have good friends all over that I can call and can talk to without having to epxlain every context for every story. I am someone who keeps a blog that is read by friends (and some strangers) across the web. I get paid to write articles and blog for a youth ministry website. I drive a cool car (albiet one that needs new tires and tune-up pronto). I have identity, purpose, presence and a place here.

However, all those things seem to shift and change when I enter into my parents' house. My family takes up the whole of my life instead of just a piece of the puzzle. I am seen as less than those things, those realities that make up my life in Oklahoma City. I am a sister to a spoiled 17 year old who tends to mock my taste in music and tease me about my non-carhart brand jacket and my stovepipe jeans. I am a unmarried daughter who hasn't yet started bearing children. I am someone who lives in a far away location for "no good reason" because I'm not yet married, so therefore, whatever the job opportunity, I should take it if it brings me closer to home. The most asked question about me while I'm home is, "so, met anyone yet?"

I don't feel as if the things that make up my identity and my reality here in Oklahoma City really provide enough social currency to convince those who aren't involved in it on a day to day basis that it's worth it. I don't feel that my singleness is the issue, or that living 10 hours away from my immediate family is the issue. Would I like to be closer to home? Maybe, if the call was right. Would I like to be married? Maybe, if the guy was right. Would I want any of these things if it meant settling in some way for less than what I am? No.

OK'd In Christ 2008 Video

Video from Ok'd. From SNehrenz

Carharts, Rural King and Squirrels-Thanksgiving 2008

Ok, really, I just picked out the three most ridiculously rednecked (that IS a word) things about my vacation to make the title.

Thanksgiving was good. Here's a bulleted list of what went down.

*Four Christmases with Lynn, Jan, Mom and Syd
*Role Models with Syd and Kati
*Lunch at the FREEZE with Jenny P. (yay for breadsticks)
*Mexican Train Dominoes
*Cross-county travels with Sydney (if only I'd been smart enough to take pictures while we were out)
*Thanksgiving lunch
*Grampy's birthday dinner at Cracker Barrel
*Sweet present from my Godson, Christian
*Hanging out at Uncle Jim's Bakery
*Cousin Matt's stories
*Sydney finding out that you cannot in fact, rig a muffler to blow out through the air vents (story there later)
*West Side Pub with the brother
*My Parents having Dish and about 25 more channels than they used to have (granted, they only got pbs... so it didn't take much to improve that situation)
*3 (or 4) trips to Rural King
*About the same amount of trips to Walmart
*$8.00 children's coats for Threads
*Wi-fi at the Dairy Queen
*Cold, Blustery Weather
*Coffee stop with Alycia May in Springfield (and the "HOLD ON, I THINK YOU'RE DRIVING INTO ARKANSAS!" phone call)
*Hanging out with my favorite So. Ill Teenager, Nick (and the game of "ouchie")
*New Card Games
*Driving to the boonies to see the busdriver for about 20 minutes.
*Having to pick up my brother and dad so they could get the tractor to unstick their truck.

All in all, good vacation. Pictures below are (but I don't know the order, Jenny and I, my godson, Christian and I, Syd and I in our "city v. country attire, lynn and I and all the grand and greatgrandkids present at grampy's party)