Pain and Joy

Ever have a day when you just knew you shouldn’t have gotten out bed?  Yeah, Friday was that way.  Get out bed, stretch, start down the stairs to make the morning coffee and CRASH, right down the stairs.  I just knew I had broken something, ankle, foot, knee, leg…  The position I was in was so unnatural and so beyond my level of current flexibility that I was absolutely petrified.  So much so that I actually hyperventilated and passed out.  This was one of those times that I am so glad Doug works from home.  So off to the hospital we went.  Praying, crying, doing that whole baby labor breathing thing… But alas, I didn’t break anything.  I sprained it bad, pulled most of the ligaments in my foot, and am supposed to keep it wrapped, elevated and iced for quite a while.  Do these doctor people know who they’re talking to?  I mean really… me?  Stay still?  Continuously?  Are you kidding me?!   Yeah.  Well, then I had one of those times when I was not so happy that Doug works from home.  

“Jen, are you standing?”
                  “yes”
             “Sit down. You shouldn’t be standing.”
                  “But I have to pee.”
             “Are you sure?”
                  “Are you kidding me?”
             “Do you need help?”
                  “You’ve GOT to be kidding me!”

Yeah, you get the idea…  (Ok, he wasn't quite that bad).  But hey, at least he loves me and just wants me to feel better.

Saturday night was Origins first Community Movie Night in the Park.  Doug wouldn’t let me go.  I guess he knows me too well.  He knew I’d want to be up moving around, helping people, serving popcorn, all that stuff, so he made me stay home.   I was so upset that I didn’t get to witness the night.  I wanted to see it!  The park is in an area of town that includes a “not so good” area.  Lots of gang activity in some of the surrounding neighborhoods.  Doug and some others had gone Thursday night to pass fliers out in those neighborhoods.  He admitted he was a little scared in some areas, but that the people were very happy that someone would do this for them.  

Around 150-175 people came to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks.  There was even a group of young men who appeared to be in a gang that stood across the park the whole night and watched.  No trouble, nothing.  They just watched.  I’d love to know what they were thinking!  Many people asked if and when we would do another one because they really enjoyed it.  I was also told that there were several people who were thrilled that they could see a movie for free but that finding out the popcorn and soda were free too was just about more than they could handle.

Doug said that at one point the sprinklers went off for just a few seconds.  People were screaming and running wild and then it was over.  That had to be funny to watch!  One of the ladies told me the look on Doug’s face when that happened was just priceless! 

After the movie, the people were just great about picking up their trash and I hear that the park was left cleaner than it was when they arrived.  Doug even had 6 women follow him home to help unload his truck and get everything put back in the trailer or the garage.  That was so kind of them!  I love our people!