Supafly.com

Tonight I went to the Insight Bowl to watch Notre Dame get spanked. That’s not why I went, but it just happened that way. I won several tickets in a charity auction back in September, so I’ve been looking forward to this game for a while. I had all the fancy tickets for pre-parties and after-parties and everything in between.

I spent most of the game sitting with my buddy Mark Hart. He’s going to be married in less than a month, so his life is about to change. Whenever someone’s life is about to change, that’s when you get the best conversation.

He has such a wonderful fiance, I know they will have a happy marriage. Mark has been through a lot, and I know that she is God’s gift to Mark.

My dad drove me down the Atlanta to catch my flight. It’s been snowing in most of the country, and my plane had been delayed by several hours. I met my friends Stephen and Ben for lunch at Fat Matt’s BBQ in Atlanta. Their parents came along, and the seven of us had a great time catching.

Stephen and Benny and I walked around Piedmont Park for an hour. It was the perfect day to catch up with friends. We went to high school together, and each of us graduated and went on to exciting things. Stephen is working in San Francisco, and Ben is a ski bum in Tahoe. We walked out of the park and each got a cup of hot coffee to warm us up. We decided to keep walking, and ended up exploring midtown Atlanta for another hours. I just love walking through the city. When I lived in New York, I would walk out of my house and just keep going for hours.

Benny took me to the airport. He was anxious because he was also meeting his ex-girlfriend. They had dated for over a year, then abruptly broke up last summer. Then he hopped in his car and a cross country trip to sort out his life. He passed through Phoenix, and we finished the state of California together.;

:::

I’m on my flight to Phoenix. Right about now, Benny’s hugging his girlfriend in the airport. I have so many emotions passing through me. I am happy for Ben, but I still don’t know if my friend Yoshi survived the tsunami. And I don’t know how much longer my grandmother will be alive. I think I need to pray.

This morning I found out about the tsunami in South Asia. The devastation looks endless. I’ve been trying to pray hard for all of those people. I am grateful to be here, safe with my family.

:::

Christmas with my family is the only time where I feel normal. There is no pressure to perform at work or be some sort of tycoon. All I have to do is just be me. My only responsibility is to watch sitcoms and eat cereal.

I’ve been trying to get to know my brothers again. They all seemed to grow up while I was in college. Then I went on The Real World, and my life has been insanely busy for the past five years. I come home for Christmas, and I am sitting in a room with three grown men that used to be my baby brothers.

My grandmother has been living with my parents for over a year now. She is old, and her body is not strong anymore. She has a cold now, and it seems to be hammering at her body. I honestly don’t know how much longer she will live. This trip home might be the last time that I see her.

I have to avoid entertaining myself while I am here. I don’t want to be so shallow that I watch a DVD while my own grandmother dies in the other room. I don’t know, in the busyness of my life, I’ve forgotten how to slow down.

:::

My friend Yoshi was in Indonesia when the Tsunami hit. I don’t know if he is alive. He could be stuck underneath a collapsed building right now. I broke down when I was praying with my mom. I am hurting so much right now. I am praying so hard.

Going on another show is a good splash of adventure, but in the end it doesn’t have a lasting effect on any viewer. If I am really going to make a difference in this world, it’s not going to come from going on another show. There is real work to do and I need to get on with it.

I have no interest in being a star. I make no apology about wanting to be influential and powerful, but I don’t need to be adored like a celebrity. I feel special enough already. The thought of going on a Road Rules Challenge causes anxiety to spin around in my chest. I just want to keep working in youth ministry and settle down with Candyce. The things I used to be into don’t have the same appeal to me.

I am so excited about my yard, I think I am crazy. Part of me thinks this is embarrassed because this is one of the first signs that I am a certified adult. Young and wild folks don’t care about their landscaping. But I do! Then another part of me wishes I didn’t care about my yard because I should be doing bigger and better things. Indiana Jones never had a yard to worry about, because he was always on a new adventure around the world.

This all comes down to me being stuck in the awkward life of as an unmarried adult.; I exhaust my ambition and passion all day at work and every weekend on the road. I don’t have a family to love and take care of, so I spend the rest of my time fiddling with trivial things, like websites and carpet colors.

I think I’m just writing about this because I am so tired from all my travels this year. I am whooped.

In a few days I’ll travel back to the East Coast to see my family for Christmas. I was flipping through my travel schedule for 2004, and it has been a busy year. This is where I’ve traveled in fifty-two weekends:

1. Orlando, Florida
2. Katy, Texas
3. Fairfax, Virginia
4. Carlsbad, California
5. Ypsilanti, Michichigan
6. Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania
7. Los Angeles, California
8. Lacrosse, Wisconsin
9. Corpus Cristi, Texas
10. Dallas, Texas
11. Metairie, Lousianna
12. Virginia, Minnesota
13. Emmitsburg, Marilyand
14. Houston, Texas
15. Glendale, Arizona
16. Rockford, Michigan
17. Moorehead, Minnesota
18. Kansas City, Mirrouri
19. Harrison City, Pennsylvania
20. Tiger, Georgia.
21. Southbend, Indiana
22. Tucson, Arizona
23. Attleboro, Massachusetts
24. Wildwood, New Jersey
25. Westminster, Maryland
26. St. Paul, Minnesota
27. Mishawaka, Indiana
28. Cleveland, Ohio
29. El Paso, Texas
30. Houston, Texas
32. Nashville, Tennessee
33. St. Louis, Missouri
34. Stoughton, Massachusetts
35. Nashville, Tennessee (again)
36. Coppell, Texas
37. Atlanta, Georgia
38, Seattle, Washington
39. Spearfish, South Dakota
40. Reading, Pennsylvania
41. Los Angeles, California
42. San Diego, California
43. Cary, North Carolina

That’s 43 places! How outrageous is that? I can’t believe I am still alive after all of that. So that means I only had less than ten weekends off for all of 2004. I don’t know how long I’ll keep doing this, but it’s been one heck of a ride.