Sunday

I enjoy Sunday. Getting up a bit later than normal (7 AM sometimes if all goes well), a long leisurely walk with the dogs (although the normal routes through the 'burbs is getting BOR-ING), strong coffee with a touch too much flavored creamer, a light breakfast, updating my main web page (www.mistergeek.com), CHURCH (and lunch afterwards...ok so I like food...sue me), and just taking it easy. It is the Sabbath after all, we should at least try to honor it. My wife and I busted our humps to get all the house/yard work done on Saturday (my new mower and trimmer are just too nice. Not expensive, but powerful) so we could relax on Sunday. We even had time to walk at the local dog park that evening.

I did all the normal Sunday things, but I was blessed to add one new thing to that list (at least for that day): help a Christian brother with a computer problem (OK, I AM a geek). Michael "The Harley Nut" (his words, not mine) was having home network problems and asked me if I would assist. Of course I said yes. He came over and brought his router that was giving him trouble and we fiddled with it but could not get anywhere, so we went back to his place and did a bit more research. after a bit of time researching and troubleshooting, we determined his router (a brand I personally had never heard of) was acting way to flaky to use all the time, so we went to Sam's Club and got a new one (newer technology, faster, better range, etc) and hooked it up. While it took longer than we hoped, we finally got it done (consider it a warning when the box says "install it in 5 minutes and be secure in 10", that it will take much longer. To be honest the new data encryption was harder than I thought to set up, but that is not my area of expertise). Michael and I have some similarities. He spent a great deal of his earlier life in Wisconsin, and I was in WV early on, both in small towns. We both have been married, divorced, and remarried (to wonderful women, I must add!), both LOVE bratwurst and kraut, both are geeks, although my skills are a tiny bit more advanced than his. He is in the Diesel Industry, I am in I/T. We both like Tom Clancy novels and Sci-Fi movies. I think I have a movie buddy!

Michael is a wonderful guy. I really enjoyed spending time with him. To look at the two of us, you would never know we were friends. He is a biker and looks a bit like one (big guy, ponytail, rides a Harley, wears bibbed overalls a fair amount of the time, is a mechanic) where I am medium build, short hair, drives a small pickup truck and a minivan, wears khaki's and Polo shirts 98% of the time and works in I/T. While we have a lot in common, we would have never met had we not attended the same church. Church brings people together.

Because we have been placed together, Michael and I can begin sharing our lives and help each other with our struggles. We can grow even more.

Do not avoid talking to someone because they appear different from you. You might have more in common than you think you do. Open up. Open up to those older than you, to those less fortunate than you, those who are in a different line of work than you. Married people, open up to the singles. You were designed BY GOD to interact with others. Do not waste that my ignoring those who are different. I am so glad that Michael opened up to me. He has done me the favor. He may think that helping him with his router issue was helping him, but just between you and me, I was the one who was blessed that day.

Who knows, maybe Michael will give me ride on his bike.