It's the little things

It's funny how the thought of losing something makes your perspective change. A lot has been up in the air about my life lately, but the basic gist is that I thought I was moving but now I will be staying here one more year. I now see the things that used to annoy me in a whole new light. Looking for housing in a totally different area has made me realize that those little things that annoy me are actually now part of my daily life, and I would actually miss it.
Instead of being annoyed by Baltimore and DC traffic, I'm thankful that I live in an area with so much opportunity for adventure. While sitting on the Woodrow Wilson bridge in rush hour traffic, I can look over at the Capitol building or the Washington Monument and remember how lucky I am to live so close to our nation's capital. I can visit the Holocaust Museum, the Science Center, or the Baltimore Aquarium on a whim and still have time left over in my day to go to a play or the symphony at night. At any time of the night I can go out and find a store that is open or a place to hang out. I have hundreds of thousands of people in such close proximity - not only is that a great opportunity to meet people, but I don't even need to leave the county to witness to people from around the world. Not only that, but many of my college friends are within a 2 hour drive.
The old lady across the street has made me late several times for work because she likes to chit chat as I'm heading out the door. But I'm thankful that I live in a nice, friendly neighborhood where people look out for each other. I still don't know why the elderly gentleman across the street likes to sit on his porch all day and stare into my yard, but at least I know no one can break into my house without someone knowing about it. The air conditioner makes a terrible noise, but when I come home at night and it is 97 degrees outside, I come into a cool house. I like that the mailbox is attached to the house - when it is snowing outside I don't have to put on a coat and shoes to get the mail. The yard takes forever to mow, but I'm so thankful for a nice yard that is mine to plant flowers in and have space around my house so I am not crammed up against the neighbor. I dislike raking all the leaves in the fall - but I have huge, beautiful old trees surrounding my house to add shade and beauty to my home. And, besides, it is fun to jump into a huge leaf pile and smell the fall air. My house is small, but I love how it looks like a little doll house. It annoys me that the new stove is bigger than it is supposed to be, but I will look back in years to come and laugh about my first house and how I had to take off the burner nobs to get into my silverware drawer. My hair gets frizzy because of all the humidity, but now I am even more appreciative when I have a good hair day :)
One day I will miss the old man who walks his 2 dogs every day, several times a day, and stops to chit chat. He even planted flowers in my garden. I'll miss taking the trash out and running into my neighbor and catching up with her and hanging out with her dog.
Most of all, I will miss having teenagers randomly stop by my house just to chit chat or ask for advice. I will miss stocking up on the popsicles that the girls like to eat on a hot summer day. I like to have them in the freezer just in case. I will miss coming home after a long day at work and finding a little note stuck on my door from students who came to visit and realized I wasn't home. I'll miss my friend leaving Gospel tracts on my door as a joke. I will miss the people here... old friends, new friends, and the people that I don't even know but I pass by on a regular basis and they have unknowingly become part of my life.
I will be very happy when the day comes that I can live back in the country and can go to the lake with my guitar and Bible, or lay on a blanket and watch the clouds or find the constellations. But for now, the Lord has given me a fresh perspective on urban life... and I am not going to take this next year for granted.

7/17/06