Barbershop Theology, Part 3: Table or Booth?

Now that I live in a metropolitan area I have adapted to the magic of the business lunch. “Hey, let me buy you lunch sometime and we’ll talk about that.” Recently my schedule called for three breakfast meetings, four lunch meetings and a couple of dinner things.

Lunch was altogether different at the barber shop. I recall watching the clock, growing hungry and for a lull that would allow us to go eat. Since my family rarely ate outside the home, walking across the street to Woody’s Café loomed as a Saturday treat. Over the years I passed the hamburger-and-fries stage and grew to anticipate a cheeseburger with onion rings.

One day I ordered with Mom. (She was the Saturday help, extra barber, and that’s another story to be told later.) Anyway, she ordered a chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and corn. And I learned to love cottage cheese with peaches. Taking my break from the shoe shine chair and eating at the café was a welcomed relief. The food was a much anticipated treat. For an extra dose of relaxation after, mpo888 offers a fun way to unwind and enjoy a little more downtime.

To this day one of my small habits is to seek out a rural diner/café/restaurant. One where there are family pictures on the wall, a sports schedule for the local high school team, out-dated décor and pictures with horses. Continue reading Barbershop Theology, Part 3: Table or Booth?

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Maturity? That’s Asking A Lot!

It’s depressing to write this, but I will turn 30 later this year.

You would think at this point in my life, I’d be past the all the irrational behavior associated with one of my sports teams losing.  You would think I’d leave behind the rage, the despondent face, and the shutdown of all normal neuron activity.  You would think I could count to ten, take a deep breath, or at the very least keep some perspective.  You’d be wrong.

Three full decades into life and I can’t keep myself from reverting back to child-like behavior when I’m met with massive sports disappointment.

It's like looking in the mirror. (courtesy cdn.bleacherreport.net)

The other night my hockey team, the Calgary Flames, was officially eliminated from playoff contention.  As I sat there watching the game online, I began muttering to myself incessantly.  Let’s just say it’s a good thing I was alone, because my soliloquies weren’t exactly meant for the ears of children.  I know that’s awful.  I know it is, but it was like a reflex.  As the night went on, and it became increasingly clear that my team would be making tee times, my anger turned to sadness.  I took off my t-shirt with the team insignia emblazoned across the chest and folded it neatly while whispering, “So close. I just want one more game.”  When times are desperate I’ve also been known to don a hard hat with my team’s logo and the inscription: Hardest Working Fan. (There’s nothing more mature than a grown man sitting alone, wearing a hard hat, wallowing in self-pity).  I slid the hard hat back onto a shelf, and then proceeded to check the standings over and over and over again.  I stared at the point totals like a mathematical equation I just couldn’t solve.  I let out a long sigh, and then said, “Thanks for a good run boys.”  I said that out loud as if I was in their locker room expecting one of the players to embrace me.  In the moment, none of this lunacy seemed odd or weird or the least bit desperate.  But it is!  I know it, and I still can’t stop it!

Of course I had my share of temper tantrums as a kid.  On Thanksgiving Day in 1993, Leon Lett decided to ruin my life by fumbling a ball in the snow to set up a Dolphin’s game winning field goal.  With my Cowboys defeated, I was inconsolable.  I ran to my room, sobbing, and refused to come out for hours.  I wasn’t just crying, I was wailing.  I remember shaking and seething in my bed just as vividly as I remember the look on my parents faces.  You know that, we’re-mortified-by-this-and-no-longer-proud-of-you look?  Yep, that’s the one.  Sure it was embarrassing, but in my defense I was just a kid.

Now fast forward to the present day.  Has my maturity level evolved?  Recent events point to no.

Continue reading Maturity? That’s Asking A Lot!

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5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Becoming a Fostering or Adopting Parent

The process of thinking about, seriously considering, then finally embracing the decision to adopt or foster a child is big.  Really big.  You might be getting opinions or advice from many different directions.

In Oklahoma, you could have a number of opportunities to consider this question for yourself; we have a great many children waiting to be adopted through our state agency system, as well as a serious need for more safe and stable foster care homes.   A recent series of events and activities have led to a greater awareness of this need in our state, and with the message being spread, more people than ever before might be considering the “big decision.”

When it comes right down to it, however, regardless of the information you get at a conference, a church service, or from your family or friends…YOU are the one meeting a need.  So, having a conversation with yourself, or intentionally walking through a process of checks and balances with those you care about the most could be helpful.  That’s why I’ve provided this list of five questions to ask yourself.  I hope it serves as a guide for at least the beginning process to your big decision:

1)    Is my marriage or committed relationship healthy? Or, am I healthy and ready? Many times, the desire to bring children into your life to nurture and support comes from healthy attitudes about providing for those who have needs not being met.  Being willing to support and raise another human being is extremely admirable.  However, one of the key conversations you’ll need to have with yourself first and foremost is – am I bringing this child into a healthy environment?  Is your marriage or committed relationship strong? If you plan on sing-parenting, are YOU emotionally healthy and strong? Can you serve as a model for your potential child or children? Can your marriage survive tests of stressful events, transitions and challenges?

If you answered no to those any of those questions, then perhaps you need to shore up your home-front first. Continue reading 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Becoming a Fostering or Adopting Parent

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Chocolate for breakfast anyone?

If you are trying to lose weight and are a chocolate lover I think you probably want to avoid  this recipe.   When two people submit the same recipe to a cookbook you know it has to be good!  And let me tell you it was.  I ate this delicious chocolate cake pudding right out of the oven, with ice cream, for BREAKFAST!  Don’t tell my husband, he probably wouldn’t approve.  This is a very easy recipe to prepare and the nice thing is, you mix it up, pop it in the oven and forget it for the next hour.  That is if you can ignore the wonderful chocolate smell that will be wafting through your home. Continue reading Chocolate for breakfast anyone?

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RDC News and Updates: 4/7/11

Good morning, dear friends and readers of the Red Dirt Chronicles.  Occasionally we publish a highly intriguing informational piece about RDC stuff in general.  If you feel you may fall out of your chair because newsletter-type posts are simply too much to handle, please put precautionary pillows on your floor.  We would like for you to have a soft landing.

Okay, now that we have the safety-first message out of the way, here is a short list of what we have going on, coming up, and thinking about…

1) The most recent addition to our contributor group is Nancy Osborn.  She’s now written two “Red Dirt Dives” posts and has another one in the works.  She and her friends have a penchant for checking out Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives-style restaurants across the state and sharing what they found with you along the way.  You can find her first two posts by simply selecting “Red Dirt Dives” in the category box on the right hand side of our site.

2) We have several series going on right now, and they all are unique and speak nicely to their particular topic: First, on Wednesday morning one of our Man Cave authors, Michael Mitchell, is writing a series about his “Non-Negotiable, Unalterable Terms” or N.U.T.s. These can all be found in the “Man Cave” category.  Following that up on Wednesdays at noon is The Imaginary Family Project – 2011, managed by Quentin Bomgardner.  With a photo to stimulate their thinking, authors across the state and nation write what they dream up about the image they see.  This project is approximately one-third complete, and with each week comes a new take on a vintage photograph.  Simply click “The Imaginary Family Project” to pull up the complete series.  Dallas Caldwell is working his way through essays he’s entitled “Barbershop Theology.”  The life lessons he picked up around Apache, Oklahoma while working in his father’s barbershop are being turned into moments for spiritual thinking.  You’ll find these under our “Faith” section.  Julie continues her work out on the Ranch and shares it with us every week in her “Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch” series and I’m growing a garden, as well as checking in with local producers in “My Little Victory Garden,” both released on Mondays.  Finally, Mark has begun a series entitled “Music for the Man Cave.”  He’s having all kinds of fun with that one!

3) And speaking of “series” work – We recently began rolling out a new category of podcasts called “The Sports Void.”  These are released late every Monday night and recap the previous week’s sports news, and include questions, harassment and banter with our two sports guys, Rob and Troy. Continue reading RDC News and Updates: 4/7/11

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