So! Been eating,
have you? Six Months in
February 24,
2005
It’s been an interesting year back in the
The first week we were back in the states I took Ben and
Kate to Wal-Mart. As we walked through, with their eyes almost popping out of
their sockets, I saw something that I hadn’t seen three years
ago.
Wal-Mart was selling three thousand dollar TV’s. I was
so amazed at this that I just stopped and looked. A salesperson thought I
might be a prospect, and they began giving me all sorts of information. They
didn’t appreciate my question: `Does Gilligan get off the island if you watch it
on a 3k machine?’
They didn’t think it was funny either, but what struck
me was seeing an ad for the same TV several months later, and the price had been
reduced to $2400.00 and I thought `What a good
deal.’
But we have enjoyed being back. When people haven’t seen
you for awhile, the usual response is `You look great.’ The most common response
I’ve had since I’ve been back is `So! Been eating have
you?’
- We go to
Two days before we arrive, she is awarded
the Rhodes scholarship. Only 37 are awarded a year; as far as I know, it is the
first time a RVA student has ever received the
- JT tells me he is
the only person in his class who won’t receive a car when he turns 16. I ask
him if that is hard on him; he tells me he is fine. (Truth be known, it was
harder on me) The NEXT day, I get an email from an old friend from the gym who
asks if JT would like her 1988 Honda with 215,000 miles. It has been well
maintained and is far nicer than we could have hoped
for.
- A few months
later, I’m sitting at the repair shop waiting on the verdict for the new
radiator the Honda needs. I’m discouraged. I get a phone call AS I’M WAITING
from a friend who tells me that when I stayed with one of his relatives during
a speaking engagement I had really impacted her life. It is difficult to stay
discouraged.
- I pick up the car
and can’t get it out of first gear. I return it to the garage, discouraged.
The mechanic says he will take it out for a drive to check it. While he does,
I meet a pilot who invites me to his Bible study. The car returns without a
problem and I gain several new friends.
- Whoever Ben
sneezes, I tell him he is Sneezey McGee. He informs me one day that his name
is HAPPY McGee.
- I wake up Katie to
begin a trip to go to
- Matthew doesn’t
make the basketball team. He is sad, but I remind him that he hasn’t held a
basketball since the previous season. He gets to be the manager, and they
allow him to work out with the team. He is faithful, and someone leaves the
team. The coach says that `I need your heart’ and Matthew gets on the team. In
his first game, his teammates cheer for him to get into the game and he plays
the final two minutes. A father couldn’t script sowing and reaping any better
than this.
- I get the
following email on a discouraging day:
Dear Mr
Peifer,
The very first day I came up
to talk to you about colleges you described me as the driver of a very nice
Jaguar and that I was happy to cruise along at 40mph without caring what I had
under my hood. I believe you were right.
Today, after much stress and
work, I believe I've found the accelerator.
At 11:06 pm my time I
recieved an email from
Thank you from the depths of
my heart
We have made our reservations to return to
I’ve sent as an attachment our information about
supporting us when we return to
The lights dimmed, and they both grabbed my hands. Then
the movie started. So many children’s movies wink at adults, but the new Winnie
the Pooh movie is aimed straight at 3 year olds; preferably three year olds who
aren’t media savvy.
They loved it. And I sat in that theater, and could feel
cynicism just fall off of me as I thanked God for the chance to see the earth
through their eyes.
When you do, it can be such a beautiful
world.
Your pal
Steve
PS Please forgive the following link, but I
couldn’t quite resist: http://www.neildiamond.com/