Vacation ????

Where do I start friends... I should be in Miami... I should be, but I'm not. I flew out of San Antonio to see a certain someone, and that's where the trouble began. My flight from SA was late, so I missed my connection in New Orleans and would miss the connection in Atlanta as well. No problem, United assured me... so I flew to New Orleans... where I got trapped for some 36 hours before someone was kind enough to tell me that this was a sinking ship. So I decide to head back home. As I am at the ticket counter my cell phone tweets indicating a text message. Knowing me as most of you do, and consequently knowing that while I am very blessed I am the least lucky human being ever, just what do you think this text message said??? 

"I know you're on vacation and I hate to do this, but I don't think we should see each other any more." 

Hahaha! I just laughed and said, "you know what, you are absolutely right". Needless to say there was much responding about my greatness and how it was a distance issue and nothing more, etc. etc. But it really made me laugh. So, I flew back, jumped in my car and was Waco bound (some vacation right?) but decided to stop along the way and just take some pictures and enjoy the time off. 

Before I let you enjoy the pictures you have to know something that happened later... a friend who felt particularly sympathetic decides to take me to our favorite place so I can wallow in self pity for about 5 minutes, and then get on with my life... we walk through the door and who stands just feet in front of me? My own personal G.I. Joe... you guess it ladies and gents, Mr. Brown himself! Who could make that up? I smiled and kept walking, but eventually we sat and talked for a bit. In case you want to know how it went, read on, if not enjoy the great picture I snapped below!

::after a lot of talking::

Me: So then I got a text message that said ___ 

Brown: He said that on a text message? Like a text... message... ? 

Me: Are YOU really judging???

Brown: Point taken. 

Me: What the heck is wrong with all of you?!?! 

Brown: There's only one of you Wester, there are a million of us.

Me: What the freak does that mean? There's one you. There's one me. That's what it means to be an individual.

Brown: No, see that's what YOU don't understand about this. It's not that you're funny, really funny actually, or smart, or outgoing, or that you love to make people happy, or that you're beautiful... it's that you are all of those things and they're not even the best things about you... like how you love the Lord more than anyone or anything, or how you did the hardest thing at the worst time (I'll assume he's talking about offering someone a ride home there- good grief), or that you would do anything for anyone - even a stranger, or that you would stand here and talk to me of all people, it's that you do all of those things all of the time. He wasn't special, I'm not special, we (pointing around the room) are all the same, but you're different, and why someone like you would be interested in one of us, is something we can't understand.

Now ladies, I'm talking to you here, what do you think should be my reaction to this??? Wait for it... wait for my eloquent reply...

Me: I hate you. 

Brown: (utter disbelief) What?!

Me: I. Hate. You. 

Brown: You're serious, aren't you.

Me: You know what? Maybe I am. How dare you! How dare you look at me like that... and, and how dare you say that to me... and how dare you NOT get that if I'm so great - which I am! - then I wouldn't have wasted my time with you if you weren't! Good grief, where are the Band of Brothers, men!!! 

Yes, that actually happened, but this is where it gets funny...

Brown: Band of Brothers, Wester? 

Me: OH YOU HEARD ME! 

and then we both just look at each other and cracked up laughing... and laughed... and laughed. It is the most I've laughed in the longest time! Then I decided to leave... 

Brown: H, if anyone deserved a vacation it was you. You deserve for good things to happen to you. I don't understand why they aren't right now, but you deserve it more than anyone. 

Me: Thanks. It's really okay now... now that it is funny! I mean really... this will make a top notch chapter in my memoir one day. Hey, you know I forgive you right? 

Brown: Yeah I know.

Me: Good- I forgot that we were good friends. I don't hate you by the way.

Brown: I knew you already felt bad about that. You could hate me if you wanted. 

Me: Nah. Good-bye

So now that that is over, let's get optimistic shall we??? I took this lovely picture on my way back to Waco. Don't you just love it? You can feel the sunshine, and the heat, and most importantly... the promise of a new day! A better day!!! (Today is a better day, FYI)