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Hey, y'all. Long time, no see. You know how I said in my last post that I was going to get on a more consistent posting schedule? Yeah, that didn't happen. It's not because of a lack of ideas, but the amount of time I spend on the computer for my full time job and my classroom makes me want to avoid the screen at all costs at the end of the day. So, I'm not making any promises.
This post will have some of this week's Hodgepodge questions, plus some "scraps" from previous weeks that I didn't get to answer on my blog. So, grab a little something to drink and sit a spell.
Are you someone with the 'gift of gab'? Elaborate (which shouldn't be a problem if you answered yes teehee).
Yes. Sometimes it's a blessing, sometimes a curse. Because I spend so much time in isolated silence, I have to be careful to avoid having verbal diarrhea when I get around people.
Do you request a special meal on your birthday, and if so tell us what that meal is? Do you want the same kind of cake year after year or will any flavor work? Do you want cake at all? Growing up were birthdays a big deal in your house? Are they a big deal now?
Since moving to Colorado, my yearly tradition was to go to KFC on my birthday. However, some friends from work have established a new yearly tradition. For the past two years, they have taken me to G-Cue BBQ in Belmar. Not only do they have yummy barbecue, but a counter of hand-dipped ice creams. I'll move my KFC tradition to another celebration--maybe Labor Day or Christmas. This will most likely be the time I'll also indulge in my favorite cake flavor--red velvet.
'Age is just a number.'..agree or disagree? Tell us why.
I agree. Why? Two words: Earnestine Shepherd. Miss Earnestine will be 87 this month. She is a true #IronDiva.
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Do you know much about (or understand) Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Does it worry or excite you?
I know enough about AI to be annoyed by it more than anything else. I have an Echo dot/Alexa and she usually can't answer a simple question no matter how I ask it. It's also annoying that students are now attempting to use AI programs like Chat GPT to write their essays. Fortunately, there are already programs in place to detect AI usage in schoolwork. They are working on incorporating programs like this in our courses along with plagiarism checking software. It's a shame that there are adult learners who would rather use a shortcut than to seriously learn anything. Makes me wonder why they are in college.
What was the last song you listened to? Your favorite movie soundtrack? What song always puts you in a good mood?
I have a playlist on Spotify called Happy 911. It's a bunch of songs that for various reasons bring me joy. Some evoke good memories, some I've played as a musician, and some are just plain fun on their own. The last song that rolled by from my playlist was this one:
I'm not that into movie soundtracks, but I think my favorite is from Rocky IV--although the soundtrack from Dirty Dancing is really good. However, I've seen Rocky IV; I've never seen Dirty Dancing.
What were you doing ten years ago?
Ten years ago (2013), I was recovering from having made several major decisions in rapid succession. They were all healthy decisions, but scary ones. I'd resigned from a stressful job that was robbing me in every area of my health. You know it's bad when I'd rather risk homelessness than work at this place. I worked several temporary jobs that kept the lights on and food on the table, but it took until 2015 to find steady work (thank you YMCA of Calhoun County). At the behest of the Almighty, I'd left a church I'd been a part of for 26 years. I didn't want to leave, but at the time, it was God's way of working out some things that I didn't want to confront. I experienced a lot of healing in the fellowship I attended (thanks First Baptist Church of Jacksonville). A medical diagnosis I wasn't prepared for sent me into a depressive cycle so severe that I contemplated suicide. I could go on, but let's just say that the early 2010s were not great years for me.
Fast forward to now. I've been in Colorado almost six years (can you believe it's been that long?). Though I'm still struggling, I'm in a better place and continuing to heal and grow.
Definitely a chauffeur. Y'all know my utter terror and disdain for the interstate, plus my discomfort with nighttime driving. I miss out on a lot of things (concerts, ball games, church events, etc.) because of it. If I had a chauffeur, I could go anywhere I wanted anytime I wanted. Yes, there are more transportation alternatives here than were in Alabama. However, at night, all of them are dangerous at worst and creepy at best, not to mention expensive. I have a friend at church who drives for a ride share service, but the company doesn't allow the customer to pick a particular driver. No, thank you. I want someone trustworthy.
What do you find is the most boring part of your life at the moment?
Well, now that depends on who you ask. There are elements and activities in my life that others would find boring: reading theological literature (well, reading in general), crafts, exercise, going to church, etc. Some may find my jobs as an Administrative Assistant and Adjunct Professor boring. I think that the age of touched up Instagram photos and highly edited YouTube and Tik-Tok videos to downplay downtime, the mundane, and the mere simple pleasures of ordinary mortals makes all of us look boring and ordinary.
And I'm good with that.
Last year, one of our pastors preached a sermon called "Be Boring." While I agreed with the sentiment, his approach didn't set well with me. I took his message to mean that boring was synonymous with mediocre. Sorry, but I'm not OK with mediocre. They are NOT the same. It's perfectly fine for life not to be spectacular 24/7, but swimming in the sea of the lackadaisical, indifferent, lukewarm world of mediocre is a selfish and depressing way to live.
I'm finding that if I'm truly focused on God, I can see anything I do as un-boring and important to God. First Corinthians 10:31 (NIV) says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." So, if God can be glorified in what others consider boring, who am I do join the mockers of ordinary?
In case you missed it:
* My previous Hodgepodge post: "The Dog in the Room" is here.
* My latest Five Minute Friday Post: "Ignore" is here.
* My latest First Line Friday post "#11: Platform" is here.
* My latest Monday Mess Making post on my Auntie's Workshop blog "Don't Forget the Unicorns" is here.
Do it all for the glory of God is a great verse . . and a great reminder!
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