Fall took a quick pause this past weekend; the sun came out and the temperatures soared again. It's almost as if it sees the end coming and wants to give it one more good kick at the can before it's all over, for another year at least. We sure appreciated it, that's for sure. Plus, it made for quite the photo-taking opportunity around here. The photos we took will be spread out over the course of this week so that I can pad these posts, but here are a few just to whet your appetite.
Behind the houses across the street is Wilson Sports Fields, Prairie's, well, sports fields. They're a throwback to when there were actually outdoor sports being played at the school, I'm sure (the only ones we have now are basketball and volleyball; oh, and futsal--what, you've never heard of it?). Across from these somewhat neglected fields is a small play ground. It's a little bit on the sad side, too, and more than a bit neglected. Huge metal frames that swings used to hang from, and two little slides out in the middle of the grass, looking like they're trying to escape the decay that's coming over the other pieces of playground apparatus. Quick mates, let's get out of here before it's too late! Of course, when one sees a slide, one has to try to go down it. Or at least, that's what Steph thought...
Until she tried to actually go down it...
...and ended up having to walk/stumble down the last bit of it, her momentum carrying her forward, but her butt not "sliding" per se...
Oh well, it was good times. It's good to act like a kid again, you know? Somewhere along the line, we get taken into this societal vortex that sucks all the spontaneous joy out of us. In a recent conversation with my pastor, he was telling me how his two-year-old sometimes just starts to dance around for no apparent reason. He's hearing some song in his head, and, well, he responds to it. What a wonderful thing to do. What a completely joyful experience that would be. Having a kid is a good opportunity to get that joy back, and I hope that my culture-bound inhibitions don't hold me back from just enjoying living life through Theo's eyes, even if that means dancing around in public and doing other "embarrasing things."Here's a theological side note (hey, I'm at Bible College, after all): I think that God wants us to regain some of that joy. Jesus tells us that He came that we may have that "abundant life", and yet that abundance eludes us in everyday life. And the sad thing about it is that we've come to accept that as normal. But it's not the way it's supposed to be, if you ask me. How do we get that joy back into our lives and live with the mentality that is "in the world but not of it?" I realize this isn't exactly a thorough treatise on the matter, and I'm glossing over some very important points, but I hope you're seeing where I'm going with this. Any thoughts? It's good comment fodder, if you're so inclined.
One really cool thing that happened this weekend as a result of having some good weather was the reception on our TV increased exponentially. Okay, we got one more station. And two other really fuzzy ones (I'm not even sure they count). But the good news is that the station we get is CTV. You know what this means? "W-5" baby! Well, actually it just means that Steph can channel hop between Y&R and Dr. Phil. And I can watch Law & Order. And CSI. If I want to squint.
One more quick thing before I pack it in for the evening. Tonight on the news (that I now get with my incredibly high-tech rabbit ears) they were talking about a new gun amnesty program that's getting underway here in Alberta, following the success that BC had in a similar venture a month ago. In fact, if you read that article I linked to, you'll see that the BC program even netted police a rocket launcher. Oh man, would I have loved to be a part of the conversation that went on in that house. "Hey ma, do you reckon I should turn in that ol' rocket launcher of ours? We've had it for so long and we ain't doin' anything with it." Seriously, who has a rocket launcher just laying around the house? If nothing else, where do you get ammo for that mother? It's almost so ridiculous that nothing needs to be said. Almost.
Anyway, the newscaster was extolling the virtues of the program, being sure to point out that the police don't want to take guns away from responsible gun owners (which is good--this is Alberta, after all. The other day, I saw a bumper sticker that said, "Protect the west: no Kyoto; no gun registry; no wheat pools"). But they also admit that of course, gang members probably won't use the occasion of a gun amnesty program to rethink their criminal patterns of behaviour. Again, the conversation at a gang HQ probably doesn't look like this: "Hey guys, did you hear the cops are doing a gun amnesty program? You know, maybe this whole life of crime isn't everything it's cracked up to be. Let's all go turn in our guns." Don't forget the holding hands and singing "Kum-by-ya."
The point I'm trying to make here is that the newscaster was also quick to point out the proper procedure for turning in your guns. "If you have a gun you'd like to surrender, please call police and they will send someone out to get the gun from you. Do not bring the gun into the police station." Oh boy. And the sad thing is that people will do it. "Excuse me, officer, where do I turn in this gun?" If police were looking for an excuse to use the ol' Tazer, that'd be it. Of course the news guy forgot to mention that it's probably not a good idea to meet the officer at the door of your house weilding the gun, either. Why do we even have to go over this stuff with some people?
I think I've done enough damage here for one night. I do appreciate your stopping by and visiting; I'm getting more people coming here than I thought I would, so thanks. As usual, comment away, please; I look forward to seeing them. Until tomorrow, may the road rise up to meet you, and may the wind be always at your back. See you then.
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