There’s a strange attitude in Texas this year. You heard that right, the state known for its attitude is a bit unsettled. It’s based solely on the weather we’re enduring.
Being a native Michigander I’m used to extended periods of rainy days with clouds hiding the sun. This year has held an unusual amount of rain for any part of the country, let alone Texas. Apparently we’re making up for the extended drought we’ve had.
The middle of last week brought about what I hope is a climax of this new emotion we’re experiencing.
It’s more than a mild melancholy or mere malaise. No, the experts labeled it a full blown depression. I don’t know what’s worse than depression, but they actually downgraded this to a depression by the time it reached us in north Texas.
They even named this depression for us to keep track of it. They called it Bill.
I think Bill threw a temper tantrum before he came north because he started out as a tropical storm before he spread depression in his wake.
This Bill character made my life more challenging than it had to be last week, too.
I took a route delivering windows to west Texas for three days beginning Wednesday. That was the day Bill sat over us dumping rain in some areas all day.
I kept checking the little radar I have connected to my phone before I left in the afternoon. The sky was red and yellow from Ft. Worth to Wichita Falls the entire time. Guess where the first leg of my journey was.
Yeah, I was getting down just thinking of the added challenge of driving on rain soaked roads for hours on end. Okay, for about two hours anyway.
The good news was there was a machinery malfunction at the window factory where I began. I hoped Bill would pull away by the time we left. He didn’t.
Instead he kept crying and blowing my rig all over the place. Yeah, it’s as much of a challenge as it sounds like when you’re driving a billboard down an open road with a cross wind.
To make matters worse Bill pulled a prank on us when we stopped for dinner. The first two truck stops we tried to get food at had their lights turned off courtesy of my not so good friend Bill.
The next truck stop a few miles down the road must have been going through a management change because their restaurant was closed. I ended up getting a free biscuit thingy to eat. It had the three letters B E C stenciled on top with a red marker.
I was hoping the letters stood for bacon egg and cheese. I think it became ‘best eaten crunchy’ by the time I got to it. I got it free at the check out when the guy with ear rings admitted they were just trying to get rid of it by then. Thanks Bill.
Actually the plastic wrap kept it in fairy decent condition for consumption. Except for the yellow part of what used to be the egg. Somebody should patent it and sell it to a tire company for an alternative for rubber. I hope it passed through my system by now.
I don’t know if you noticed but I’ve been referring to we on this trip. The regular driver for this route was in a car accident. I’m filling in until he recuperates enough to wrestle windows again. One of the regular employees rides along to make sure the paperwork isn’t messed up and to help unload the windows.
People like to think angels sing beautifully. The Bible never states angels sing, so I don’t think they do. All I know for sure is that Gabriel snores quite loudly at times. I told him it sounds like angry snoring when he hits decibels that should be declared illegal. Hey, don’t take it out on me. Blame it on Bill.
I saved something from some of our church’s men’s retreats that came in handy. I’m pretty sure the Breathe Right nasal strips will save Gabriel’s marriage. They sure quieted his snorts for air. That should be added to the Bible.
I could continue about the other things that went wrong during last week’s trip, but I’ve used up my allocation of curmudgeon for this blog post.
Bill dropped rain on the just and the unjust. Lights went out for Christians and heathens alike. Mine wasn’t the only rig blown around. I just had guardian angels guiding it between the lines for me. No, Gabriel wasn’t one of them. He fell asleep from the sounds of it.
I didn’t let outside circumstances keep me from my appointed rounds last week. I barely made to one of the stops before they closed, but I got all of the windows delivered intact.
I don’t plan on taking this route over from the regular driver. I’m merely doing my best to live out Colosians 3:23 where the Bible tells me to live as though Jesus Himself tells me to do my job.
Look it up, that’s the rendition I heard as a teenager that keeps me grounded in my work ethic. Try it on for yourself.
I think Bill did his best to live by it, too.
Even the winds and waves still obey God. Shouldn’t we?
Keep smiling. Wade
