I was walking into the office with Gabe (a co-worker), after we went to the hardware store to get some keys made for the church’s boxtruck, and on Phil’s (another co-worker) desk was a little box. The little black velvet container was just beckoning me to pick it up and put it in my left pocket before the owner could notice. Phil was in Mishler’s office so I was in the clear. The beauty of this situation was that no one was around to noticed the extra space on Phil’s desk where once a ring box sat. I peered inside and a gorgeous solitare rock was staring back at me. I wondered why a married man would have a rock like that, why his Kylee’s (his wife) ring is back in its box, and what’s more why he would have it at work where it could walk off into the hands of a co-worker.
Mischievously, I walked to the open door of Mishler’s office where Marcia was looking in on Phil, who was sitting across the big oak desk like a student in the principal’s office, surrounded by Gabe and Kylee.
Noticing that the conversation wasn’t of essential material, I pulled Marcia out the door and asked her to keep a secret. Her eyes lit up like a child who has walked downstairs to the abundance of neatly wrapped gifts on Christmas morning. She nodded back in anticipation. I quickly pulled out the black velvet box that I held hidden in my hand, inside my coat pocket. In one fluid motion I opened the box, revealing the sparkling diamond to my anticipating friend. It could only be assumed that I purchased this ring to give to a lady-friend. It only took her a split second to start squealing, jumping up and down and twirling her lanky arms like she was hopping over some invisible rope. I could only let this happen for a few seconds because I knew that they truth would quickly pop her Excitement balloon.
I shushed her and let her in on the truth. Her strength is deceiving; those little fists can really pound into an arm when she summons the power that comes from being fooled.
It was then that Kylee was walking out of the office and by this time I had the black velvet box back in my left hand, inside my coat pocket. With a little grin, I asked Marcia if I should tell her. Even though her face was red from embarrassment she nodded “yes”. I guess she wanted someone else to share in the trickery. I told Kylee to close her eyes and as she did I slowly pulled that box back out of my pocket, ready to employ the same trick that I just pulled. I put the open box as close as I could to her closed eyes without her noticing and told her to open them. For a couple of seconds, it earned the same reaction that came from Marcia. I suppose that reaction is the universal way for females to respond to such information. But only after a couple of squeals and jumps she realized the ring looked really familiar.
I suppose the reason why I write this is to highlight their reactions. I didn’t know what to expect when that tricky idea popped into my mind. I expected looks of confusion and questioning. But instead, both parties were…well you know how they reacted. Surprisingly, they were both excited. So I guess this means that when that time comes, I’ll at least know 2 people who will be excited for me.
Posted by joelbloghead 
All I know is that I’ve lived so much of my life in the fear of failure and many decisions were made out of fear. I choose to not push myself and instead choose what is comfortable. I don’t want fear in that way to rule my life. Many of the reasons to stay in Anderson revolve around this idea of fear; fear of failing at some other job in some other town with some other people that I don’t know. I think of doing a different job in a church somewhere and almost instantly thoughts of failure come into mind. I know that most of those fears are illegitimate, but that kind of fear can be paralyzing.
