St. Signs, I mean Street Signs, I mean ST signs

I've made mention before of my apparent gifting when it comes to 'non-income generating' skills. Now here me out, this isn't me boo-hooing as though God skipped over me when he handed out true talent. Like most people I was given a few gems. It's just that I also possess perhaps more than my fair share of semi-puzzling abilities as well.

My day-to-day living of life often takes me down I-5, the main North-to-South freeway in Washington state. A few times a week I trek out from my home in Seattle to Federal Way which is about 25 minutes South.

So many times I've seen the Motel 6 near Orilla Road advertising the usual $44 dollars a night (and with special care they note that's for ONE occupant), how many times I've thought that maybe beside the exit to Southcenter Mall (excuse me, I mean Westfield) isn't the best place for a Lover's Package, or wondered at who lives in the homes which face the freeway adjacent to Boeing Field.

Recently when traveling this route I noticed something other than "landmark" cheap motels. For no particular reason that day highway signs were of interest. I think most people would describe road signs as consistent, necessary, sterile. You know, purposeful, helpful but unwaveringly uncreative--as they should be. The mostly green or blue backdrops, the rectangular shape, and the predictable places they are posted all contribute to their usefullness to us passer-by-ers who have just a few seconds to read while going 60mph.

I am not a grammer expert. I'd need more education to be an editor. It is easier to sound 'correct' when I speak versus when I write, from a technical perspective--seeing as how speaking doesn't reveal my less-than-perfect spelling and punctuation abilities.

But, it doesn't take an English expert to notice written inconsistencies. As I drove, gazing on the stationary signs I noticed (for no particular reason other than my puzzling 'gifting') a shocking lack of order. Heading toward the 272nd street exit in Kent I passed 3 related road signs. There was a sign warning the exit was approaching in 1 mile. A sign announcing a 1/2 mile til the exit. And yet another marking the actual exit to 272nd itself. And, as you'd guess, on the return trip I saw more signage on the opposite side of the freeway, also marking 272nd.

What is my point, you ask, and when am I going to get to it you ask.

Here is how the various signs (in no particular order) read:

S. 272nd. St.

S 272nd St.

S 272nd st

S. 272nd St.

A little further along on my return, I noticed a sign marking 260th which ended in ST versus st or St or St. or st. - I think you get my point. There may have been even more street signs for 272nd and 260th/TH which I didn't notice that day. Who knows the untold variations displayed along the roads we travel every day.

Another thing I noticed as I headed back to Seattle and passed several signs noting this or that 'College Next Right':

[XX] Comm Coll

[XX] Comm. College

[XX] Comm. Coll.

Apparently the state decided 'Street Sign Editor' was a position that could be cut from the budget without many negatives. At minimum though, if not an actual body to govern this process, is there not atleast an editorial manual available to those drafting street signs for us?

It doesn't so much bother me that a sign would read Coll even though the official abbreviation for college is Colg. I just can't help but wonder what little effort it might require for the sign makers of our state to choose either Colg or Coll or Coll. and stick with a standard! Some of us go nuts with so much randomness. It really does bring out the OCD in me.

Maybe those politician types are right that the money they save in letting sign makers run wild outweighs any cost to obsessive persons like myself. But I hope they don't assume we're too dumb to notice the fallout of the lack of a reference manual. Yea, I'll still get where I need to go, but with an additional disruption as I try live in a world where 1 more of the few things I would've categorized as unwavering is actually... quite random.

A Good Way to Spend a Weekend

Last Saturday I had plans to meet a girlfriend for coffee at 10:30. I like scheduling things around 10 or 11 in the morning cuz it gives me time to comfortably get in and out of the gym before said event, without having to set an alarm to get myself out of bed in a less-than-natural manner.

A great way to start a weekend, IMO, is to roll out of bed around the usual 7:30am, head to the gym around 8 or 8:30, and then on to wherever else the day may take you.

Last Saturday morning, following the shower which followed my workout, I decided I didn't need to try to impress the girlfriend and so I left off my face (makeup) and decided not to blowdry or straighten my hair. This little diversion in plan resulted in about 30 extra minutes, partially cuz even if I had done my makeup and hair I still, as always, can't seem to not have about 15 minutes flex time. You know I am one of those think-ahead-er-planner types. I stay on task by slightly overestimating how long everything will take. Doing so works!

I decided that with my extra time I'd walk over to a nearby grocery store for yogurt and fruit. BTW, these days I can't seem to get enough yogurt. I had avoided it in recent years given that I ate it every day during my 15 and 16th years of life, as part of a strictly lowfat diet. It worked. I got quite skinny but eventually couldn't look at yogurt with the same cheery disposition. Then, for no particular reason I developed a taste for it again, a few months back.

Anyway, there I was at the checkout with Yoplait, apples and a few other items (I CANT seem to walk into a grocery store and not get things I didn't plan on getting) and in front of me was a young mom buying a birthday cake, package of red licorice and a few other things.

The cashier totaled it all up and the mom realized she gone over budget by a few dollars and asked the clerk to subtract the licorice. And "Could you call me a taxi?" she asked after she'd made small talk about her birthday plans for the weekend. "My daughter's birthday is on January 1st, just a few days before mine." She told the clerk who didn't seem to interested in conversation.

Placing her grocery bags in her cart near her quiet, tired, very cute 1 year old girl, she wheeled toward the front door hearing confirmation that a taxi would be by in about 10 minutes.

The clerk got right to work scanning my items. Having eavesdropped in on the young mom's attempt at conversation regarding her birthday, with my eyes on the discarded bag of licorice--I realized maybe she didn't have to go without her red vines after all.

I think most of us want our days to be filled with little opportunities to help those around us. Never before though had I been given such a perfect, easy chance to do so. I knew it was her birthday. I could afford a pack of licorice. I knew she'd be waiting outside while I finished paying for my things. It was all too perfect!

I asked the cashier to add the candy to my bill. She grabbed it from beside her til without saying a word. She didn't need to know why I wanted it, but she might have guessed.

I tried to be swift about bagging my items and heading out. The lady and baby girl were on a bench sitting off to the left. I strolled up and nervously offered her the candy. "What would she say? Would she be appreciative?" I wondered, my sage self knowing that 'charitiable acts' aren't always received well in this crazy world. I told her that I wanted her to have it for her birthday. She looked surprised but accepted and said, "Thank you very much."

I didn't really expect more out of the interaction and so quickly went about loading my trunk with my few bags. As I did so it dawned on me that I could have, and probably should have, offered the mom a ride. Clearly she was on a tight budget and I thought it might be tacky to hand her cash, but saving a taxi fee might have the same effect.

I closed my car door and walked back over to her, "Do you need a ride? You live somewhere close that I could just take you myself?" I asked.

She gave me a heartfelt thank you and accepted. We loaded her groceries in my car and off we went. I trust that my good intentions outweigh driving as she held her baby girl in her lap. I figured there wasn't much alternative given she would have done the same had a taxi taken her home.

She thanked me many times as we drove. She talked of how rude Seattle-ites are and how my offer was much more common of folks she was used to in Alabama. "Where I am from people are willing to help perfect strangers. Not here. Not in Seattle." She said.

I told her I didn't much have an opinion given I was raised here. The ways of this area are so natural to me I told her. "It's not very often I do get the chance to help someone, so you just don't worry about it at all."

We talked about her baby, an adorable unplanned gift. We talked about her family and her job. She works at Ross. The baby's father is a good financial provider but not around much. We talked about how that reality might affect the little girl as she grows up. It was a good conversation and it was easy to see the mom had a good head on her shoulders.

Arriving to the apartment she showed no hesitation in letting me carry a few of her bags up to her apartment. She showed me inside where I saw streamers hanging in preperation for the baby's 1st birthday party that afternoon.

As we had approached the apartment she apologized for the trash bins which had junk strewn beside them. "This is low income housing, which I am grateful for." She said as she assured me that she kept better care of her home than was taken of the outside grounds.

Her apartment was as you might expect with a department store clerks income. Her care of her daughter was most important and I could tell she had all she needed most to equip her with a healthy mind and heart.

As we wrapped up our conversation and I headed out, I said "I can leave you with my phone number if you want it or ever need help." She accepted and said she'd like to call me just to talk sometime. "You are an angel." She said. "You have no idea how grateful I am."

Her praise almost made my deed mute. There I was receiving a gift from her. We hear heartwarming stories and we talk about how they feed our soul. They really do.

I felt amazing the rest of that day. I kept the story to myself, but decided to post it here with this intention: I ask you to think outside your routine. I want you to ponder asking God for opportunities similar to this as you go about your week. A willing heart and a free moment and we can change our communities. If you think one person can't effect much, think about Hitler. One person can one day at a time.

I haven't heard from this 'neighbor' since that day, but I hope I will. And, I hope that I will have many days to come that are just as fulfilling. How easily I was set-up to help someone. So little of me was required. Why wouldn't I want more of that...

Thoughts for 2009

January 1st is only one of 365 days which are great for changing up things.

But, like most people, the start of another year does have me musing a little longer when it comes to ways in which I ought to better myself.

On my list of things to work on:

A) weight/exercise/laziness - ie I need to be on my couch less and using my muscles more. I need to be at Jack-in-the-Box less and at the sink rinsing fruit more. Lest I think this is only a matter of balancing vanity and laziness... no, this involves alot more. Staying 'in shape' allows me to have not only physical--but more importantly--emotional energy, to give to those around me. Self discipline is a vastly under-rated virtue in today's society.

B) I need to become less selfish - a better friend, support, relative, community member, contributor at large, etc.

C) I need to be more dependable and consistent. A big one would be committing to parties, events, etc. I let my tiredness and social anxieties win too much. If I say I will go, a week later my 'day of emotions' shouldn't change my earlier decision.

D) I need to talk less. Listen and learn more. That might involve reading more books.

E) I need to stop pretending I don't matter. One person can contribute. EVERYONE has something of value to offer the world at large. We all have something good to give EVERY single waking day. It isn't my perogative to say, "Eh, I don't need to/can't give anything to my community if I don't/won't take anything. Nor can I keep score and only give as much as I take. I must give, serve, listen, give and learn and grow and give."

F) This works into some of the above, but I need to put my money where my mouth is. I need to exercise my faith. I need to act in accordance with the principles I profess to believe.

G) I need to prioritize. I need to have an agenda. I need to put time and support into areas where I believe God has created me to contribute. I need to cut out things that distract from this and create relationships and habits that strengthen my goals and purpose.

Are you with me on any of that? What are your goals for today and beyond? I think I could very easily continue on with H-Z; in the meantime I'll start with A.