That Time I Jumped on the Chattanooga Choo Choo

       One thing procrastination can't destroy is desire, and I've put off planning for this next stage long enough. It's day one of being a college graduate, and my blond-haired, blue-eyed nephew is sitting here next to me, babbling about the remote control. I want to get to know this kid even as far as getting to know this remote. I have a desire to be part of his life. On this Mother's Day and beyond, I also desire to let my mother know how much I truly care about and appreciate her for not just the things she does for me, but for who she is as a person and who God has shaped her to be. I desire that for every member of my family. The prospect of still having many prospects gives me some variety of choice amongst all of the things I desire.
       And yeah, there are a lot of other desires on my heart. For being a cynical, doubtful person, this list far exceeds the bounds of expectation. I started reading Quitter, the latest book by Jon Acuff, last week thanks to Claire ordering it in time for dead week. I'm in the middle of Jon Acuff exploring this concept of a "dream job," the one you are always kind of working toward or wishing for while in the throes and woes of your settled job. Acuff discusses identifying your dream job and working toward it. Timely for a college grad, no? That's what Claire was thinking, and I agree with her. She asked me if she should read it right away. I said maybe, probably. Mostly I suggested that she should read it in bits and pieces. This man has endured over a decade of wasting his life on strange suppositions about careers and misguided pursuits. He had a lot to write in just a few hundred pages.
       He writes quite a bit about hinge moments, which are defined to be those times you usually note in retrospect when something in your life was pointing you toward your dream job. One of his hinge moments was when his first grade teacher laminated and "published" a book he wrote in first grade, because she believed in his writing even then. After years of working for IT, he has finally recognized his dream job, writing. Looking back, he knows he was headed for it all along.
       This seems like some worthwhile reflection, and I've done it from time to time in the past. I know people who are stuck in their not dream jobs currently and live for retirement. Ludicrous. I'd like to believe God gave us passions for a reason, and I'm going forth to search the depths of what God has laid on my heart. Now that those silly academics are out of the way, Imma put my pursuit pants on and get it. In Chattanooga! See you on the flip side!

Note: I still think I have mental issues. I plan on getting that checked out in Chattanooga, too.

I'm including this video for Sadie Smith:


Chattanooga Choo Choo by brainstorm

*EDIT*
I changed the layout, because that other one was super hard to read. I simply didn't care enough to change it until now. Sorry about the pain it may have put you through while it existed.
*EDIT*