Sunday, January 23, 2005

Getting Real

I am pondering something...trying to figure out if my thoughts are so influenced by pop culture that I am unable to see biblically about this issue. We are encouraged to get real by Dr. Phil (whom I adore), Oprah and a myriad of others. Jesus was about being real. We tell each other to "keep it real." But what happens when real seems so negative. I have said for the past 3 years that I am happy living where I live because the people are great even though the town is not fantastic. I have said the shopping is good too. Now, the people and the shopping are fine - the town is still ugly. But if I am going to keep it real I have to admit that I do not like living here at all. In fact I have said that I do, believing that I do - but as I have uncovered layers of stuff recently I have to face the fact that I just do not like being here. Everything biblical would encourage me to be content and that it is not about me. But how do I marry the Keep it Real syndrom with Christian contentment. When asked, "do you like living here" can I say quite honestly say, "no, but I don't always have to like everything." I hate to offend those who have been born and bred in these parts. I am not screaming to pack up and move either. But I would love to be able to be absolutely honest.

1 comment:

dutro said...

Arlene, I can so relate to this post, though I don't want to reply to it for fear of offending "those who were born and bred in these parts" including my wife, an Amarillo native. I was born and raised in Missouri, almost right in the middle of Clark National Forest, which is a few million acres of hills and trees and bluffs and rivers, and bobcats and even a bear or two, though I never saw one. Our eleven years in Amarillo (we worshipped at Central) were probably the best for friendship since we've been married, but I SOOOO missed any trees, rivers and anything pretty. The folks were great, the landscape was awful. Now we're back in Arkansas, and I miss the W. Texas sunsets. I don't miss the constant wind. I do miss the evenings being able to just open the window and do without air conditioning. I don't miss not being able to get out into the woods unless you knew someone who owned the few cottonwood breaks down off the arroyos. I miss the Wolflin neighborhood. I miss Johnny and Janie Weems, though we seem them occasionally, but not nearly enough. I don't miss being so far from any other civilization that you have to plan a trip to the next big town like a major undertaking.

Stanley Marsh once told me that the people who came to Amarillo to settle were running from something. His words were "princes don't emigrate", and he was right. Nobody would have chosen to live in Amarillo for the beautiful surroundings, but it was a good place to live, nonetheless. Enjoy what is good about it. If you left, you would miss some things you don't even know right now.


Blessings.....

dutro

If you want to know who I am, ask Johnny Weems (-: