year in review: the Dallas year

I’ve been thinking about how I wanted to approach this post for a while. I decided I’d go with a couple explanatory sentences, followed by a couple introductory sentences, followed by a list of things I’ve learned this past year in Dallas, and conclude with some more sentences, only they won’t be explanatory or introductory, they’ll be the opposite… conclusilatory.

Those of you who’ve been reading my blog for the duration of this past year know that I’ve not been madly in love with my time here in Dallas. Hopefully you don’t think I’m depressed, because you’d be wrong, but if you thought I wouldn’t move back to Dallas save the Lord speaking it over me in three consecutive dreams, then you’d be correct. I decided about 3/4 of the way through my stint here that it would behoove me to pen some of the things that I’ve learned while living in the Big D, so as to ensure that my time here was not spent in vain. My friends, I give you the list (in no order of importance):

- I am able to support myself. For the first time this year I’ve lived without any parental subsidization.

- Living in a place for any amount of time and not being plugged in to a solid church is something no believer should have to be a part of. It makes things way harder than they ought to be.

- I don’t like bars. They’re lousy places to hang out, for about ten different reasons, yet it’s where people my age want to hang out.

- Work doesn’t have to suck.

- No matter how terrible you think your geographic location is, if you have people around you who you love and who love you, you’ll be good to go. You’ll think sometimes you’re not, but you really are. People are so precious.

- If I had to take a college class on how to get around downtown Dallas, I’d fail, no question.

- Traffic, though detrimental to the environment, is otherwise only as bad as you make it. However even if you normally make it a pleasant thing, you’re allowed a slip here and there. (Not sure what was going on the day I took that picture above, streets are never that clear).

- The Lord’s ancient work is taking place all over the world, including in hundreds of places throughout any given community. It’s easy to miss when you aren’t living in the Spirit, but it is so sweet and refreshing when you do spot it.

- Regardless of your situation, how sorry you’d like to feel for yourself, or how angry you are at either society or God, the fact remains that though your circumstances have changed from previous times when things were “better”, Jesus hasn’t. It’s no less accessible during your bad times than your good ones. He still longs for you to know him way more than you yourself want to know him.

- When you find people you like, you should hang out with them. I believe that.

- People in this generation (both believers and non-believers) long to be around authenticity. They can tell whether or not you’re being real.

So there you have it. A list of eleven things I’ve learned (or relearned) during the past year. Nothing novel, nothing profound, but lessons nonetheless. I’ll close with another list of sorts, a few thank you’s to people who’ve made me like Dallas way more than I ever thought I would. You are the people who will make it hard for me to leave. If it weren’t for you guys, I’d have no problem in the world washing my hands of this city. So thank you to Jon, Mikey, Colby, Laura, Rachel Reed, Nat-town, Hannah Morgan, Antwan Contrerras, Hunter Lott, Ford James, David Foltz, Keith Peeler, all the iW people, and Louie. I appreciate you guys and girls more than you’ll ever know (especially those of you who don’t read this blog and have no idea you’re on this list).

So farewell Dallas. I’m sure you won’t miss me, and rest assured, the feeling is mutual.

congestion?

One of the drawbacks to living in a major city is the lack of open space. Buildings and streets take up most of the space (all but the few acres of parks that cities thankfully spare), hindering, among other things, the view. One thing I love about many places I’ve visited in my life were open fields or overhanging cliffs where I could sit and watch the sunset (or rise, if I were so ambitious as to wake up early).

The other day I got off of work about an hour before sunset, so I decided to do the ol’ ride-my-bike-to-a-cool-place-and-watch-the-sunset. The place I had in my mind, a field, turned out to be the worst possible idea. There were buildings all over blocking my view of the westward sky. I was fortunate, however, to have one of those buildings be a parking garage. So I rode up six stories of steady incline to the top where I took a new kind of sunset picture: the kind that includes the building, as opposed to avioding them. I thought this building looked so cool as it reflected the sun. If you have bad vision you might even look at it and think that the building is all clear (and wouldn’t that be cool if it were?). So now I just need to find the tallest parking garage in the city and ride up it for my next photographic outing. I’ll be a happy rick.

(can you see downtown back there?)

fireplace: before and after

I’d like to thank Tony Green for the “f”, the vase, and the giant white Lego leaves. I’d also like to open up the comment section as a safe place to discuss your thoughts on our fireplace.

white rock lake

I love parks. I have no problem with a percentage of my tax dollars going towards parks and services. I took this picture at my new favorite park in Dallas, White Rock Lake Park. See downtown across the lake? Isn’t it little? Fun huh? Thank you Dallas for building such an escape right in the middle of yourself.

the room

Here’s your first (and probably last) look at my new bedroom in the new apartment. It looks like that. There are, however, a few exceptions; slight differences between what you see in the picture and reality.

For instance, chair isn’t empty, I’m currently sitting in it. And the three pictures on the top shelf of my new bookshelf (which I love) are now leaning on a Nalgene each, as sort of a picture frame, if you will. Perhaps the biggest exception is this: there is presently a stinkin’ cable wire running from the wall opposite my desk (wall not pictured) to my computer. While I am grateful that it provides me with an internet connection, I simply cannot understand why the man – who took a week to get his butt over here to install it – thought it was a good place for that cable when I have the same wall jack directly behind my computer.

Why didn’t I tell him otherwise? Well I was slightly busy being at the renowned Dr Boothe’s LASIK center for nearly five hours. I don’t really want to be many places for five hours, and in case I was ever unsure about that LASIK center’s ability to hold my attention for such a length of time, I confirmed it today. It failed. Miserably. But that’s just the price you have to pay to get your eyes fixed. That and a few thousand dollars.

I see that this post has taken an unexpected turn, and is not about LASIK (no pun intended). If you don’t feel like commenting, I understand. This was yet another poor post. At least I have internet now. Maybe they’ll start improving.

D.O. in D-town

First, sorry for what I assume is the huge text… this isn’t my computer, more on that as you read on.

Well we successfully moved all of our countless material possessions from College Station to Dallas. Mikey and the Mills crew went ahead and dominated the whole loading of the stock trailer. I felt like a jerk because while they were loading up all my stuff, I was playing my guitar, eating free food, and going bowling… all in the name of the Lord.

Here’s the current internet situation here at The Gate (that’s the name of our apartment… trendy huh?). We called Comcast today to let them know that we were ready to get some world wide web lovin’ in our pad, and they assured us that in merely two weeks, they would bring a kit to our door that we could install ourselves… is that a joke? I don’t really care how busy you are Comcast, two weeks is perhaps the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I could walk to your office and pick up said box myself, walk back, and nowhere near two weeks would have passed. Good gracious. So I’m sure you’re wondering how it is that I’m updating my blog without having the internet in my room. Well Jon got this amazing new MacBook (that I pray daily I won’t covet) that has the ability to borrow wireless internet from our kind, unknowing neighbors. Thanks Bradley.

Finally, I’m learning all too quickly how expensive life is. My parents will be thrilled to read that (assuming they read my blog at all). I’m attempting to get a job at REI, but I fear that it may not allow me the necessity of paying the bills. I’ll find out more on that tomorrow, but you may not find out until later, because of the internet situation.