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RideTheSquirrel
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Name: Andrew
Birthday: 12/15/1984
Gender: Male
Interests: Playing piano and finding a really really good and talented person to play with/marry if they're a girl!!
Expertise: Being single for the rest of my life.
Occupation: Student
Industry: Education/Research
Message: message me
AIM:  ISlurmsMaKenzieI
Member Since:
12/25/2004
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| Well I'm just about to head off to college for the day, but I figured I'd indulge myself here. With the upcoming Christmas season at hand I just wanted to share a little story, and some insight, about the mysterious ways that God works. I would like to tell you a story. I like to call it "Riches to Rags."
A long time ago there was a man who had just about everything he could ever fathom. He was a hardworking man, had a family and children, and even had his own corporation. Life was excellent, if anybody asked for anything they got it. However, as anybody can tell you, running a business is very time consuming. While being an excellent provider sometimes it's harder to balance that with being an excellent father and husband. So, eventually the mans wife left him, taking the children with her. The man was devastated and not having God in his life left him turning down an alternate means of dealing with issues; drugs. So the drugs pulled him through for a little while, until the law started closing down on him. One day, he was involved in an undercover operation by local anti-drug units of the law enforcement agencies. Arrested and then released on bail, since money wasn't an issue was just a minor stepping stone. The business was still doing spectacular, and many years had passed since his wife had left him. He got to see his kids on the weekend until one day his wife moved out of state, 1000 miles away. Then it moved to seeing his kids for a few weeks in the summer every year or so. While still being addicted to multiple drugs he carrys on with his life. This time, his children are not children anymore. His kids are living on their own, being function adults and taking care of themselves. Business has started to decline, since everybody seems to be running out of money. Soon the man can no longer pay his bills, or his taxes, employees or his unhealthy habits. Everything is taken from him in one large motion. His company is repossessed, employees are laid off, and he now owes the IRS thousands. He can no longer afford to live in his upscale apartment, and the landlord evicts him. The man is now homeless, on the street with just the clothes on his back.
Up until now, I have spoken of this to no one except a close friend. This man is my father. He lives in Florida, and over the past few years I've watched him lose everything he once had. His apartment was broken into and people stole all of his valuable possessions, leaving him with only a couch and a table. He's been living on the streets now, sleeping in parks because he's got nowhere to go, and I'm helpless to do anything for him. I can barely sustain myself. However, I have done all that I can by adding a line on to my bill so he can have a cell phone, and I even drove down there to give him my motorcycle so he can have a vehicle to get around on. He can't get a job because of his colorful criminal history with drugs. This all seems horrible, right?
Well, since these epic misfortunes he has started attending a church. Some may call it coincidence, but I call it a miracle. At this church was a man who works at a company that could give him a job, and not only a job that pays minimum wage and long hours, but a nice job that pays about the same as what he was making before. He's since found a place to stay so he's not sleeping out in parks, and things are really looking up for him.
This just reminds me of how things sometimes must be broken before they can be rebuilt even stronger.
Anyways, don't forget even if you're not religious, that unfortunate events will always turn around in the end. Another example of that is with this past Thanksgiving season. I have had a family member die, one of my best friends had his grandfather pass away, but you know what? I've never been so close with him and his dad as I am now. I'm seriously like his fathers 2nd son. It's a real nice place to be and there's no family out there better than Ben's family. Hands down. I'm proud to say I know these people, and I'm so glad that I've become so close with them. Just to think this all budded from a very unfortunate situation that brought us together. I've had some of the best times of my life hanging out with them over this past week. Just being there, hanging out, eating and making memories. That's what life is all about, isn't it?
I'd love to keep going, but I'm a Choir Boy (haha ultimately funny since I go to a Catholic College) so I've got to go lead the tenors in battle against the other sections; all of which fail at life.
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| What makes you happy?
I'm just interested to hear from
people about a time they can remember when they seemed to be the
happiest. I mean I'm not saying that if you don't state every time you
were ever happy then presumptuously you're not happy then. I'm saying the
absolute happiest you've ever been. To help you think of that (and please
post it after you read this or whatnot), I'd like to share with you mine.
Today
I've been doing some soul searching, some real deep thinking about myself and
the person that I've become. I like to think, in the most humble way,
that I'm a good person. I always try to do what’s right in the big
picture. Although sometimes I've made some bad choices which have made
things complicated, I've usually morally come out on top. Anyways, this
deep thought got me to thinking: "When was I the happiest in the past 5
years?" I carefully took almost everything into consideration (only
saying "almost" because I'm sure I can't remember EVERYTHING, even if
it was an excellent memory, sometimes they're deep into the memory banks and
take a while longer to remember) and have decided that I was the happiest for
about 2 and a half weeks in a row during March this year, in 2006.
In February, about on Valentines Day
I had recently started talking with an old past acquaintance. We had met
4 years prior, and had talked over a handful of times between those
years. At first our conversations were reminiscent on old times, about
what was going on in our lives recently and about an upcoming trip to England. All were pretty much exciting things to hear
about. Over the next few weeks spilling into the first of March, we got to know
each other quite well with our little (although a few times we chatted for
almost 6 hours in a row) internet conversations. I think I was most happy because someone was genuinely
taking an interest in me. What really
brought us closer together (In my own opinion anyways, you’ll have to ask her
for her thoughts) was when one day I was complimenting her to one of her
overseas friends on the internet and it went all the wrong way, causing lots of
drama. I thought perhaps I was getting
the worst of it, but I wasn’t. I felt
very bad for my friend, AND her friend. Anyways,
I was genuinely there to be her friend.
I would sit and read what she typed without responding for 20 minutes at
a time. I would send words of
encouragement, and authentically enjoyed every conversation we had.
About a few weeks later I mustered
up the courage to ask her out on a double date, which was after I couldn’t
stand not seeing her in person anymore. Obviously
she agreed because I think she wanted to meet me again too. We decided to go bowling, and I had a great
time. After that Friday evening, I felt
invincible. I felt like no one could
keep me down. I felt the happiest ever. Mostly it was because I had grown so attached
to her personality (which is the only thing you can like from someone when you’re
talking to them over the internet), and I wanted to get to know her better, but
I was really hoping that she wasn’t ugly!
I mean she looked gorgeous in all the pictures I’d seen of her
before! Don’t get me wrong, but being
attractive is an important thing to me when you’re looking for someone to keep around
for a while, and I’m sure that almost everybody else could say they agree to
that in some way or another. I felt like
the luckiest guy alive! After that date,
we talked and she said she would be interested in seeing me again, but this
time we could go just the two of us. So,
we arranged a few more dates. By now it
was the 19th of March and I had already plotted to ask this pleasant
young lady to be mine officially. I
asked March 20th, the next day which was also her two younger twin
sisters’ birthday. She said yes, and
from then on for about 2 and a half weeks I felt like I was flying. It was the happiest series of memories I have
in my mind in possibly all of my high school and college life so far. I’m sure that probably isn’t going to change
either. How do I know this? Because when you meet that person that you
know without a doubt loves you for who you are right now, it doesn’t get any
better than that.
Perhaps some of you don’t know who
I’m talking about. This best friend of
mine is named Judy Ann. As our 6 month
anniversary approaches very shortly I just thought I would share this with
everyone. It brings me great joy to be
able to say everything I just have. I’m
sure Brad and Christina know what I’m talking about, as well as others do who
have a special someone in their lives. I
don’t want people to think I just want to hear their love stories, but I just
like hearing about what has made people very happy before. It also helps to remember why that made us so
happy, and helps us to appreciate it and maybe get us back to it. So how about you folks?
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| I'm still alive.Hey everybody. I'm still alive. Judy Ann is doing well. I've just started at college and it's going to be crazy,but in a good way and I like it. How have you all been? Hope God is blessing you still.
-Andrew
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