Talking to Myself: Interview Part One

                                            

Slice of Life: Day 10

Today I had the privilege of interviewing someone very close to me. Me.

What do you do for a living?

I have been an elementary school teacher for the past twenty-one years. I hope that status will change as I attempt to strike up enough nerve to leap to high school. From there? Teaching a writing course at the college level for the last five years of my career – all the while writing and selling my novels, short stories and screenplays.

Who do you love?

I love my wife for her grace and beauty. I love my daughters for making me a Dad and their striking beauty, creativity and unique qualities that make them truly original. I love the brotherhood I share with my three brothers, which we celebrate every summer during Brother’s Weekend – more like Brother’s Week. I love my best friend, Dustin, for his integrity and creativity. I love my mom and mother-in-law for their generosity. I love every one of my students – past and present. I love anyone upset I didn’t mention them in this answer. I love U2 for being a big part of sparking my passion for writing and transcending my spirit.

Do you have enough money?

Nope.

Can you be more specific?

Not even close.

Try again.

Fine. It depends on how I look at it. Since my trip to Ghana in 1994, I have had a new perspective on everything. Do I have enough money? Yes, because I’m rich compared to many people in the world. No, because living paycheck to paycheck is a struggle. Buying one pair of sneakers a year is a bit ridiculous. And no, because my family and I have NEVER been on a real vacation. Ever.

Are you healthy?

Well…after listening to twelve hours of Dr. Amen, I doubt it. I’m sure my brain is whacked. I am nowhere near the recommended amount for the vitamins and minerals he recommends. But I do average 18 to 20,000 steps every day, so my legs can still track down flies in the outfield (if it weren’t for my hamstrings), and my heart has to be pretty strong. My sweet tooth will kill me, though. My grave (if I weren’t opting for cremation) would be constructed of jellybeans and anything else with Red 40.

Do you think you’re a good person?

If this is a yes or no question, then yes. I’m damaged, imperfect, irritable, grumpy, opinionated, susceptible to the enemy’s whispers, raise my voice, impatient and, I hate Christians that act like they're superior to everyone then treat people like the LGBT community like lepers. Hmmm. Now, how did Christ treat the lepers? Judge them? Accuse them of having the devil in them? No, he loved them and commanded us to do the same. He NEVER said give your opinion on people different than you. He said our job is to love. Period. Oh, and I hate people that take selfies every day showing off themselves, their pretend family time, their current locale and what they’re eating. Other than that, I’m pretty kind and big-hearted. No matter what, I’m loved.

I think I struck a nerve.

You did, but it needed to be said.

For the record, I agree with you.

I thought you might.

Hate is a pretty strong word, though.

You're right. I don't hate anyone. I may hate or be annoyed at what and how they think, but you're right, it's a strong word. It annoys me that there are people turned off by Christianity because so many Christians turn away ones we're supposed to love. It's a battle sometimes, a thin line, between annoyance and hate. The enemy wants us to choose the latter, so it's wise to be aware of that.

How about one more question and then we can continue this another time?

Shoot.

How old are you?

Well, I’ve been living for forty-six years, but I don’t say that word. I’m surprised you said it.

You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking.

I forgive you.

I thought you might. Can I ask one more question?

Of course.

Who’s your best friend?

Other than my wife, whom I’ve known for close to thirty years – starting with a flirting game at a youth group spaghetti dinner, I’d say Dustin as mentioned above. He and I are cousins, but as much as I love family, I love that I can call him my best friend even more if that makes sense. I have very fond memories of camping out at the cabin in the meadow of our family farm. We’d trade baseball cards, make campfires, have home run derbies and play poker with coins until the wee hours of the morning. We also played softball together took road trips to Cooperstown to see Mike Schmidt’s HOF induction and Cleveland to see a lot of U2 memorabilia at the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame. Dustin also stood by my side at my dad’s memorial service.

Is this the cabin that has become a fixture in many of your stories, including your soon-to-be-published novel, Grace Leads Home?

Yes. I don't set out for it to be a part of all my stories, but somehow it weaves its way in there. But I'm glad it does.

My brothers are like my best friends too. We share life at Shady Hill together, involving riding bikes, hikes, yard work, sledding, birthday parties, Christmases and a whole lot more. With our dad being gone, I think we lean on each other in some ways. We relish the time we have together more than we would if he were still alive.

My best friends through school were Troy and Steve. Man, I loved those guys. I’m very grateful for them. I don’t know what school or my teenage years would’ve been like without them. I was blessed to have Troy and his family over last summer – the first time we’d seen each other in sixteen years. And I talked to Steve for the first time the other week. It had been over sixteen years since the last we spoke. I miss them, and I hope to stay in touch.

Were they the ones you made the Robin Hood movie with?

Yes! Best movie ever. Hands-down.

Didn’t you only film like 90-seconds of it?

Yes, but still, it’s the best movie ever.

You wrote the entire script, right?

It was before smartphones, so, yes, I copied it word-for-word with pencil and paper - the entire movie pushing pause and play. Pause and play. Pause and play.

Seems like a lot of work for 90-seconds of filming.

Shut up.