Serious

Last night, Geoff and I went to Subway to grab some dinner. While in line, a lady came in behind us with a sandwhich she'd bought earlier in the day. She put the sandwhich on the counter and unwrapped it, exposing a bread knife, which had supposedly been wrapped into the sandwhich. She was pretty irate, calling them incompetent and whatever else, and practically jumped over the counter to point out that the knife in the sandwhich matched another knife which was currently being used by someone else. "See? See? They have the same handle, that's your knife right there!" All the poor kid who happened to be at that end of the counter could say was, "would you like another sandwhich?" She said no, she did not want another sandwhich, and would they please put the knife back in her sandwhich so she could bring it in the next day and tell the manager. After she left, the people behind the counter were all saying, "it wasn't me!" and the guys behind us in line were all ordering the $5 combo and could they please get a knife with that? Ha ha. I said to Geoff, how do we know she didn't just find a similar-looking knife, or maybe knows someone who works at a different Subway and asked for a knife, just so she could do this, maybe throw a law suit around? It's bizarre, but weirder things have happened. (Remember the lady who "found" a finger in her Wendi's chili? Did they ever find out where that finger actually came from?)



Anyway, last night was a little emotional for me. First of all, we watched some 911 stuff that Geoff had recorded. Everytime I see that footage it gives me chills. The images that strike me the most are the ones of all the people standing in the streets of New York, just standing around and staring. Imagine something that could STOP people, everyone, in their tracks for miles. One guy with a camera got a bunch of people on film, their reactions to what was happening. (This was after the towers had been hit and before they fell). It was the intense indignation that they clearly felt, and most of them angrily shouted that we needed to run over and bomb the terrorists right now, kill 'em dead, "those people shouldn't even be allowed to live on this earth." I'm sure everyone felt the same thing to a degree, across the country. I know I did. Now as an honest, sincere question: since then, what have we done? Did we accomplish what we meant to do in the beginning? You know I don't write about or follow politics very much, and I haven't made a pro- or anti- war statement. It's a sincere inquiry, I'd like to know what you think.



We also watched "Happy Valley", the movie about the drug problem in Utah County and Utah in general. This one also made me cry, because drugs are a real problem and it's very tragic. I was afraid the people in the movie would try to blame their drug problems on the church or the "culture." Some of them did, but one of the main guys (an addict) actually defended the church and basically told them what a stupid question that was. He knew he was responsible for his own actions, and actually checked himself into rehab. Anyway, kind of a powerful movie about the incredible power of drugs (even "just pills") to ruin and ultimately end people's lives. There was one young girl, only 18 years old, whose actions resulted in her best friend's death. She is now in prison, her mom an addict herself, she couldn't get a hold of her dad, who had seemed to disown her, said she thinks about and misses her friend every day, and was the object of hatred by the people she had hurt. As she broke down and started to cry, I kind of did too. I know the Lord feels compassion towards her and loves her wants her to be loved and happy. I imagine he does for everyone who struggles with addiction and the terrible pain that comes with it. It's such an unfortunate human condition, to get caught up in these things in this life. I know that is why he has given us guidelines, it is to protect us from avoidable misery, because he wants us to be happy, not sad. I hope that girl is able to make a good life when she gets out.



Anyway, this was a really long post. I applaud you if you made it all the way through. Good job!