Today, Holy Thursday in the Christian tradition was a bad day and a good day. With so much to do I decided I better set up my new printer. I got it going but not as wireless. The warranty number was not toll free so I ended up using all my cell phone minuets talking to person after machine after person. Maybe I had to pay the long distance cost since all the persons I talked did not have Indian or Asian voices patterns. Where ever they were the technicians kept putting me thru the same hoops without any results. Whenever I get new computer equipment there seems to be a frustrating period of set up. Today was the day. Hopefully, my brother, who is now retired, but works with computer, when he comes for a visit tomorrow, will know what to do.
The other frustrating experience was in parking my car downtown this afternoon for an appointment. When I finally found a spot it was one of those automated meters, one a block that accepts credit cards or money. Using my credit card I could only get 5 cents worth of time. I needed more so I tried good old cash. It did not work and just came back. So I decided to use the credit card again and this time the meter said that it was not a metered time. I finally looked up at the parking sign and it said it was 2 hour parking only to 3:30pm. It was 3.29 when I started, thus only the nickel and 3:30 when it rejected all my money. This experience would not have been frustrating but after my appointment I came out to find my car with a parking ticket. The machine and I know what the metered hours were but not the parking person. I took a picture of my car with license number and 2 hour sign in background that says parking is only to 3:30 pm. I will win this ticket battle but oh what a waste of time and energy.
Now for the good news of the day. Finally after years of hassle the four rims on the basketball courts at the park across the street have been restored. Resurrect the Rims have been my cry forever and today, it happened.
Also thoughts in my mind today was from a movie we finally watched last night: “The Last Temptation of Christ”. Although the movie does not pretend to follow the Gospels and be theologically correct it got criticized and praised when it came out in the 80’s. I thought it was good surrealistic story about Jesus discovery that he really was and accepting his suffering and rejection at the hands of the Romans and his own people. The film was truly about the “The Non-Violent Cross: A Theology of Revolution and Peace”, a book by Jim Douglas. Jim’s book was written in 1969.
The weather today was sunny, that is good, but chilly and windy, not so good.
All this talk about good and bad reminds me of fable about a farmer by spiritual writer Anthony De Mello. Good news turns to Bad News and vice versa. The fable is below but the good and bad is to found each day.
A farmer had only one horse. One day, his horse ran away.
All the neighbors came by saying, “I’m so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.” The man just said, “We’ll see.”
A few days later, his horse came back with twenty wild horses. The man and his son corralled all 21 horses.
All the neighbors came by saying, “Congratulations! This is such good news. You must be so happy!” The man just said, “We’ll see.”
One of the wild horses kicked the man’s only son, breaking both his legs.
All the neighbors came by saying, “I’m so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.” The man just said, “We’ll see.”
The country went to war, and every able-bodied young man was drafted to fight. The war was terrible and killed every young man, but the farmer’s son was spared, since his broken legs prevented him from being drafted.
All the neighbors came by saying, “Congratulations! This is such good news. You must be so happy!” The man just said, “We’ll see.”
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