Leadership, Band Geeks, and Traffic

I had the best busy day I have had in a while complete with friends, rehearsals, and God.  The prelude to it was just as grand.

Saturday night I video chatted Robert (never a bad thing…just a few more months) and then headed to the Peach Festival with my college friend, Nellie.  She and I saw experienced peach in a variety of forms from lemonade to turnovers to licorice.  Then we had a simple dinner of chicken sandwiches and got caught up.  Her husband, who I refer to as Marky Mark, was pleasant company and more humorous than I remembered.  Then I went to bed with happy texts from Robert.

Though I had very little sleep (I had to pack for my trip to the Miss California State Competition in San Jose) and have trouble sleeping in the heat, I awoke with energy enough to brew some coffee and hit the day swinging.  I got ready for church and Dad and I headed to rehearsal complete with coffee and high hopes for the day.  I saw Grandpa (he is doing really well, thank you for the prayers) and my great aunt.

The sermon was about leadership and the different types of leaders we choose to be in different circumstances. I thought this was particularly apropos for the week where I am helping select the team captain for Youth Focus, Inc. (choosing leaders and working with community leaders from across the state).  Something that stuck with me is that we are leading, even when not in an official leadership capacity, but we are either leading towards something or away.  So who are you leading?  Where are you leading?  How are you leading?  These questions are important for us all to ask, but especially those with children in their lives, and those looking to create change, and those in transition.  These circumstances make or break a leader, and we are in them every day.  So, if you think you have failed as a leader once, don’t worry, there are many more opportunities to lead and succeed throughout life…daily in fact.  You just have to choose to be better.  We can all be the next Martin Luther King, Jr. or Gandhi or Lincoln we just have to choose to be. 

With these thoughts of leadership in mind I went home to finish prepping for a great reunion with some high school friends and their families.  The old crew got together, complete with wives and children, and we had a great time of laughter, story exchanges, and realizing that our conversations ceased being about trivial things but now focus on adult things – jobs, children, laws, and bills.  When did we grow up?  How did that happen? 

I was most blessed by the company of my ex-boyfriend and his wife and son.  He makes a good burger (thank you standing in the heat and grilling for me, sorry about all the smoke).  V, you are a gem and I love that you are in my life. You are one of my favorite people and I see great leadership in you, but also great compassion and joy.  I want to be like you.  Thank you Ryan and Crystal for driving all that way; I have so missed your faces and enjoyed reconnecting.  Jess and Matt, you two bring such life and color to everyday events.  Thank you.  I can’t wait to see you all again; there is a special place in my heart for all you.

After cleaning up I headed to San Jose where I realized I still hating driving by semi-trucks…especially when the driver is falling asleep and then tries to merge into my lane where I have nowhere to go.  Let’s do that again!  Thank you God for protecting me from semi-trucks and stupid night runners who run with ear buds in and only wear black.  No accidents because Dad taught me to drive defensively but still hate driving.  Robert please come home so you can drive on trips like this (and because I love your company and want to experience these kinds of trips with you).

I then met up with my mini-me and we caught up.  We had such a great time looking at old pictures and prepping for this week of competition.  Ironically, we had a little virtual visit from one of my old roommates.  The timing was hilarious because I happened to be sitting next to her when he requested her friendship on Facebook.  He hasn’t talked to her in at least two years, to the timing was perfect.  We had a great meal of Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (I think they put some coke in those to make them addicting) and finally calmed down enough to go to sleep around two a.m.

All in all a busy day, but full of life, friends, color, and excitement; they only thing missing was video chatting Robert (two hours difference is more than one realizes).  Though I have nothing to complain about, V did fifteen months with Josh in Iraq…four months of him in Mississippi is nothing to complain about.  Now to start a week of renewing friendships, avoiding old relationships, and leading the next generation of leaders…Father, let me be an example of you that I might be a small impact for good in the lives of these youth.