Cell phones and Alternative Spring Break

So the other day I waltzed into Verizon to pay my cell phone bill. It was a beautiful day so I strolled down from Kroger. Paying my bill usually takes about 4 minutes, whether or not I have to stand in line. Well, I come in right behind a woman and her teenage daughter. The first thing that the lady says isn't Hello, how are you doing? to the Verizon worker, but begins explaining that her daughters phone is fuzzy when she makes phone calls. The entire time she practically ignores what the guy is trying to explain to her, and just gets really angry, and starts telling her daughter to make phone calls and prove that it's fuzzy, wanting to know what the Verizon guy can do about it...I guess I just don't understand people who aren't very nice to those who can help them out. The man was trying, to the best of his verizon-given ability, to help the woman out. But all she wanted to do was make sure that her 16 year old had a really cool phone that she could talk to her friends on without it being fuzzy. It brought to mind a lot of things I've seen in the last week or so, like "My Super Sweet Sixteen" on MTV, where the material world is worshipped by teens and therefore their parents. Why does a 16 year old have to have a $300 phone, and why do parents believe that, in order to defend their childs right to have "really cool stuff" they can be rude to salespeople? I dunno. It was just frustrating to me to sit there and listen to the woman who was not at all nice walk out the door and state how she was never going to be doing this again. Well ok. Maybe the guy will breathe a little easier now.


I leave in the morning to go on Alternative Spring Break with the college students sponsored by the Interfaith Center where I work. I'm so excited for this it's ridiculous. I've been a bit sick all week long, and then last night it got a little worse, but nothing is going to get in the way of this awesome week we are about to experience. There are 35 of us going, the largest group the IFC has ever taken, with five vans! Aaaah! It's going to be great. I can't wait to get to spend a week with these amazing students that I've met and deepen our relationships with each other and (hopefully!!!) Christ. Just another example of my cup overflowing. I feel like the luckiest gal to be able to do things like this. Charles Lindbergh has a quote that has stuck with me all day today as I've packed and planned: "It is the greatest shot of adrenaline to be doing what you've wanted to do so badly. You almost feel like you could fly without the plane."

Peace! Em:0)