Sitting Next to Stahlin

Me: Oh, good evening Mr...Stahlin.
Stahlin: Shut up, I hate you.
Me: May I inquire as to why? I've just barely met you.
Stahlin: I hate the way you face sits on your head. I wish to remove it, and plant it on a canvas somewhere so a starving artist can make good use of it; or eat it.
Me: Glad to hear you support the Arts, but I didn't ask that you sit next to me.
Stahlin: No, perhaps not. How did you get this seat with that face?
Me: I guess even a bad face can have enough money. Do you hate all people because of their faces?
Stahlin: No. Just yours. And my mother's.
Me: I see. Do you like your-
Stahlin: If you continue to speak with me, I must insist on your demise.
Me: I don't believe you like your face either.

I then died.

This was roughly, and dramatically, my circumstances this morning driving back from Hooper. Perhaps not Stahlin, but had Stahlin and Freud made a love child, then him. Sitting next to that guy. That's all.

Forever in a Potato Sack

I like Neil Diamond. I'm not at all jaded at the irony of him composing a song inspired by his poverty and making millions off it; I'm not. Furthermore, I'm not going to discuss my non-jaded feelings about it. Mostly because I just did.

Colby and I were driving home from my family's house a few days ago, and Diamonds, "Forever in Blue Jeans" came on. We've been struggling financially since Reality combined with Freak Circumstances smacked the smiles right off our faces. I trust Colby, he trusts me, and we trust the Lord. Trust, unfortunately, does not directly generate funds. Colby was sitting next to me in the car reading some homework on the laptop, Hallie was on her "D-Pad", and I was listening to the zune on shuffle. I normally skip Neil Diamond songs because, typically, I'm not in a Diamond kind of mood. I think there's only one person who's perpetually in a Diamond mind set, and I call him Dad. I let the blue jean song play, and realized how right Neil is.
"Money talks, but it can't sing... or dance... and it don't walk."
Yes! Money runs its figurative mouth all day long, all night long, all of our lives long. Its always expanding and retracting, flourishing and failing, and will NOT shut up about it. It's what we hear everyday from our economy, our boss, our absence of a boss, our colleagues, our checking account, insurance, and grocery stores. But, this money is stationary. It's immovable in its power. It's appeal ends with what it can or cannot get you. It can't walk with you like your companion, your child, your friend. It won't sing with you-even in the good times-and it certainly won't dance the night away with you. So what am I going to do without it? I'm going to dance, sing, and walk through this life with the people I love. The rest is stupid and I'll take care of it as it arises. For now, I'm fine with living in a potato sack.