In three weeks plus a day I am leaving for Egypt for a year. This is great for a lot of reasons, but right at this moment, it's great because it means that I can stop getting up at 5 am to mow the half-dead grass of shopping malls and strip malls for 8 hours a day. Actually, I don't mow - Charles mows, and I weed-whack/trim. Today while weed-whacking, I talked to a homeless man who was sleeping behind a dumpster. He told me that he had picked up all of the garbage to try and help us which was slightly untrue, but he was nice and it added something unique to the day.
It used to be Charles, Tyler and I at work, but Tyler quit on Tuesday because he found a bigger and better job, so now Charles and I drive around the city trying to do the work of 3 people with 2 people. During breaks I fall asleep or read the newspaper or I talk with Charles, who is from the Congo, about Africa, North America, and everything in between. Charles has a BA from a university in the Congo but because it is virtually unrecognized here (something which makes me so frustrated I don't know what to say), he spends his winters shovelling snow and his summers cutting grass. His cheerfulness reminds me to appreciate my job more than I sometimes do, especially when I think that I, unlike him, am able to quit in two weeks. Sometimes when I'm weeding rock beds in front of malls that I think no one cares about, I remind myself that God is a God of aesthetics as well as everything else (and aesthetics includes creation) but that only works so long when all that keeps coming into my head is the many other things I would rather be doing. Despite it all, I'm happy to be working outside, and there really is something to love about seeing the world right in the few minutes after the sun rises.
In the city newspaper there is a "venting" section in which people can send in a few lines about what is currently pissing them off. Today someone wrote in something like this:
"To the woman who was applying mascara and curling her eyelashes while driving her SUV: Maybe you should think about what your face will look like after your airbag explodes."
I laughed.
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7 comments:
yay dena!
we have that too--roasts and toasts. but they are bad. once someone roasted people who send aid to 3rd world countries. they said we should send birthcontrol and condoms. and the next week someone toasted the person who wrote that.
also, so many of the women at my work are educated as well. and here they are cleaning shit out of toilets just so that they can buy their children books. it doesn't make sense.
i am happy you are going to egypt.
i will miss you as i already do.
Hey Dena,
I got here by way of a few other blogs...but heard about Egypt from Margaret. That sounds wonderfully exciting! I am thrilled for you. Keep enjoying those random moments - like the man behind the dumpster. And getting to meet people like Charles. I miss that in my job, and love those opportunities in my summer. Enjoy the smell of the grass, too...
that quote is hillarious in a makes-me-nervous sorta way because i used to do my makeup in my beat up box car on my way to school back in the days of western christian. i pride myself on efficiency...charles sounds like he makes your job! 3 weeks and you'll be here!!! ya!!!
oh my, dena, i'm jealous of your upcoming egypt adventure! are you brushing up on your arabic??
Dena Congrats!!! That's awesome. Oh Lord please give me money so I can visit Dena.
Good luck wrangling those MESPers...I hear they get really out of control. And be safe and blessed.
it was so wonderful to see you last weekend!
Manolivin! I just want to go to Egypt too. God bless this big journey!
love you.
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