The gist of it is: Cali to Ohio to New York to Tennessee back to Cali, oh yeah, and everything in-between.
Why? Because I can. And i like to be driving straight at the sun for a matter of days.
I'll be gone for something like two weeks, two weeks of heat, summer, and lots of America. I plan on making everyone in America jealous of us people that live in Cali.
- Tick
- Ernie
Monday, July 19, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
God Bless Long Beach.
I'm standing under the hot sun, the grass of Ramona park beneath my feet. Two young girls approach me, one of them had been following me around all day. "Hi Ernie" says the older one with a smile. "Hey", a simple response, to show I was uninterested in them. "I bet you don't know my name" The Girl was right, i had no idea who she was, in that, i told the truth "I bet I don't." She was apt on getting me to talk to her "I'll tell you and you're gonna laugh, ok?" "okay..".
She waited a second, then told me her "name".
"Marrajawanna"
To be honest, I did laugh, only at the sheer stupidity. "It's true, I even wrote it on my bag. She showed me her bag, "Marijuana" was written in large bold letters across the back of it. I said nothing. "se habla espanol?"
me: "no habla"
her: "yeah you do!"
me: "yo no hablas."
her: "quieres marijuana?"
At that point, I decided it was best to walk away and not look back. "no." I said as I turned to escape her, she followed me for a couple yards, insisting that i wanted some weed.
Now, I'm sitting on the warm sidewalk, watching the children as they play on the playground. There are 4 light and life kids on the playground, including sam and liberty. There are about 7 local kids on the playground, including the one Alpha female with the attitude. As the birds sing, and the dandelions dance, the local kids start picking on two light and life kids. "Sam" I called him over to me "what are those kid's names?" I knew I'd have to call them by name when things got rough, to let the local kids know that they were my responsibility. Things escalated quickly, as i imagined they would, to the point where the two light and life kids were about to get an old school Long Beach pounding.
I made my way over to a position where i could easily see all 7 of the local kids. "Hey!" I shouted as I grew my ego exponentially, letting everyone know that I was in charge now. "if ANYONE touches those two kids, I'm gonna.." A million thoughts ran through my mind on how to finish that sentence, it ended up with "be PISSED!".
Everyone shut up and shrank, as i was hoping for. Everyone except the Alpha female. "well he punched my sister!".
There's a point where I doubt myself, and other points where I simply deny everything anyone else says.
"Bullcrap" I said, rejecting her false sense of reality "I was sitting right there watching the whole damn thing."
"well I don't let anyone hurt my family" She said, looking away.
"Good, and you better believe that anyone that touches my family is gonna get messed up, and these kids are MY family"
She muttered some sense of nonsense to which I ignored.
I called the children by name, and took them off of the playground, pissed that anyone would try to hurt them, and ready to break a few faces if i needed to. Adrenaline pumping through my veins.
I wonder to myself, why I was so protective over a few little kids I didn't even know, and why was I ready to fight for them rather then just pull them off the playground and leave? Because they were from my church? I realized then, that my church is my family, and I care for them as that. I don't simply have friends, I have one big family of people, all of which I care for as that.
That said, don't mess with my family, or im gonna be PISSED.
- There are 'those' days, and then there are days like mine.
- Ernie
She waited a second, then told me her "name".
"Marrajawanna"
To be honest, I did laugh, only at the sheer stupidity. "It's true, I even wrote it on my bag. She showed me her bag, "Marijuana" was written in large bold letters across the back of it. I said nothing. "se habla espanol?"
me: "no habla"
her: "yeah you do!"
me: "yo no hablas."
her: "quieres marijuana?"
At that point, I decided it was best to walk away and not look back. "no." I said as I turned to escape her, she followed me for a couple yards, insisting that i wanted some weed.
Now, I'm sitting on the warm sidewalk, watching the children as they play on the playground. There are 4 light and life kids on the playground, including sam and liberty. There are about 7 local kids on the playground, including the one Alpha female with the attitude. As the birds sing, and the dandelions dance, the local kids start picking on two light and life kids. "Sam" I called him over to me "what are those kid's names?" I knew I'd have to call them by name when things got rough, to let the local kids know that they were my responsibility. Things escalated quickly, as i imagined they would, to the point where the two light and life kids were about to get an old school Long Beach pounding.
I made my way over to a position where i could easily see all 7 of the local kids. "Hey!" I shouted as I grew my ego exponentially, letting everyone know that I was in charge now. "if ANYONE touches those two kids, I'm gonna.." A million thoughts ran through my mind on how to finish that sentence, it ended up with "be PISSED!".
Everyone shut up and shrank, as i was hoping for. Everyone except the Alpha female. "well he punched my sister!".
There's a point where I doubt myself, and other points where I simply deny everything anyone else says.
"Bullcrap" I said, rejecting her false sense of reality "I was sitting right there watching the whole damn thing."
"well I don't let anyone hurt my family" She said, looking away.
"Good, and you better believe that anyone that touches my family is gonna get messed up, and these kids are MY family"
She muttered some sense of nonsense to which I ignored.
I called the children by name, and took them off of the playground, pissed that anyone would try to hurt them, and ready to break a few faces if i needed to. Adrenaline pumping through my veins.
I wonder to myself, why I was so protective over a few little kids I didn't even know, and why was I ready to fight for them rather then just pull them off the playground and leave? Because they were from my church? I realized then, that my church is my family, and I care for them as that. I don't simply have friends, I have one big family of people, all of which I care for as that.
That said, don't mess with my family, or im gonna be PISSED.
- There are 'those' days, and then there are days like mine.
- Ernie
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Responsibility. Money. And doing what needs to be done.
since the beginning of last month, I've been a paid, working, intern for my church. I work with the youth, as a leader, I also work around the church in general. Doing odd jobs. The only real difference between what I do now, and what i did before, is that i'm more involved in planning Fusion, I get paid, and i show up earlier.
The other night, on Sunday, people were kneeling down at the altar and praying, then today, a woman came in asking about "the lady for the food". She was looking for Sarah and the compassion closet (a closet of necessities for people in need). Sarah wasn't around, so the receptionist just sent her to the ministry center.
I realized, upon listening to the woman ask me about Sarah and the compassion closet, as well as seeing the people at the altar, that it's my job to help these people, even if i'm just a youth leader. I led the woman to the compassion closet myself, turned on the light for her, grabbed her a bag, and told her to grab whatever she needed. Then, I turned around and dared everyone to give her a dirty look, no one did. Ciara prayed for her (she's more like that, i just set people up), and we sent her on her way with a smile.
Back to the people praying, I ended up praying for everyone there, awkwardly a bit.
That's why I work, that's what I'm supposed to be doing. I don't necessarily like going up in front of a church and praying for others, nor do I particularly enjoy helping random women that i don't know.
What i do like, is loving people, and thus, I do what God tells me needs to be done in order to make them feel loved.
I have no idea where I'm going with any of this. it's almost 1AM and I'm bum tired from an awesome day.
The fact of the matter is. I like loving people. In a nice way.. not like. romantically.. much. anyway.
I'm reading this cool book called "the same stuff as stars" it's boring and i like it.
This guy came to visit Fusion, and was being an annoying pest. He came from Big Bear, and was acting like he was better then us LB kids, he even started trying to act all "gangster". Whatever dude. Go back to big bear and take your ego with you.
Fusion was awesome. Both Jess and Ian were there, we had amazing water wars, I soaked everyone, including Jess and Ian. With water balloons, and my water gun, which i accidentally forgot there.
- Im tired, and i wont sleep.
- Ernie
The other night, on Sunday, people were kneeling down at the altar and praying, then today, a woman came in asking about "the lady for the food". She was looking for Sarah and the compassion closet (a closet of necessities for people in need). Sarah wasn't around, so the receptionist just sent her to the ministry center.
I realized, upon listening to the woman ask me about Sarah and the compassion closet, as well as seeing the people at the altar, that it's my job to help these people, even if i'm just a youth leader. I led the woman to the compassion closet myself, turned on the light for her, grabbed her a bag, and told her to grab whatever she needed. Then, I turned around and dared everyone to give her a dirty look, no one did. Ciara prayed for her (she's more like that, i just set people up), and we sent her on her way with a smile.
Back to the people praying, I ended up praying for everyone there, awkwardly a bit.
That's why I work, that's what I'm supposed to be doing. I don't necessarily like going up in front of a church and praying for others, nor do I particularly enjoy helping random women that i don't know.
What i do like, is loving people, and thus, I do what God tells me needs to be done in order to make them feel loved.
I have no idea where I'm going with any of this. it's almost 1AM and I'm bum tired from an awesome day.
The fact of the matter is. I like loving people. In a nice way.. not like. romantically.. much. anyway.
I'm reading this cool book called "the same stuff as stars" it's boring and i like it.
This guy came to visit Fusion, and was being an annoying pest. He came from Big Bear, and was acting like he was better then us LB kids, he even started trying to act all "gangster". Whatever dude. Go back to big bear and take your ego with you.
Fusion was awesome. Both Jess and Ian were there, we had amazing water wars, I soaked everyone, including Jess and Ian. With water balloons, and my water gun, which i accidentally forgot there.
- Im tired, and i wont sleep.
- Ernie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)