Joshua Street’s Blog

I love watching my kids learn. From the progression of excitement to frustration, they try and try. It makes me think though how quickly we formulate that we have “figured it out”. That’s just not the case. Let’s face it, we all are still trying. The wisdom is in knowing you don’t have it figured out. The truth is you are probably wrong. When’s the last time you got angry and frustrated, looked in the mirror, and said to yourself, “you’re wrong”?

As of 3.2.10, I am the proud parent of two. I could image more kids being a ton more work, but then the reward increases with each one. I think Jo and I are done, but for the next 18 years at least, our life is on target for a wild ride.

When I started my twenties and pictured what my life would be like at the close of them, I can honestly say there is not much that fits. I hadn’t met my wife yet, I was working my way through college to become some type of counselor, I thought I was ready to be a husband (luckily the girl I was engaged to wasn’t), my two younger brothers were in 8th and 2nd grades, and I’d been out of the house for 2 years. I was so young and thought that the world was my oyster (both statements I still believe today, but in a slightly wiser fashion).

I guess what I’m trying to say is my life reshaped into something far different than my expectations. Maybe I could have done everything right and known exactly what I wanted to do at and early age. Maybe I would have gotten to this place faster in life. Perhaps, but I highly doubt I would have acquired the level of appreciation for the things I have been given without the journey I’ve taken.

So this year I’m thankful for that. I’m thankful that no matter what I do or don’t ask for, something great is around the corner. After all, the joys of life are never found in the things you expect, but in the unexpected.

Today I received a visit from my Grandfather at work. He does this from time to time I think just to check up on his grand-kids. Most of the time he comes in, exchanges a few words and then, as though not wanting to get in the way, looks around and the moves along. Today was one of those days where we stayed an chatted a bit. If you know my Grandfather, you know he is something different. But in case you don’t, here a few things to note about him (or how he is forced to be by my Grandmother…who knows sometimes). He doesn’t drive by someone who is broke down without helping. I can tell you he is never in a hurry. Somehow, even with his constant side adventures and projects, I’ve never known him to be late. I think it comes down to how he commits himself to things.

He has told me a story a couple times about he and my grandmother had bought some furniture and a few other things for their house. They were making payments on them and I believe both were working at the time. The story basically goes, they got in over their head to the point they just decided to sell all of it and payoff everything. Great idea except it left them with nothing, not even a mattress. Instead of saying we have to this (like a bed to sleep on), which seems to be a fairly common excuse for living outside of your means. They got in their car, drove to the city dump, and got a discarded mattress. I can hear everyone cringe at the thought of sleeping on a used mattress, let alone one that made it all the way to a landfill. But we should be ashamed for thinking that action any less than the noblest of deeds. I can attest to the fact that had that not been done that day. My life would be drastically different. I have never had to do that and probably never will. Every choice we make today is magnified, not minimized, in the future generation. Because I’ve had the rare joy of my Grandfather’s company for so many years, I know the effects of these decisions.

My Grandfather made a comment to me about a year ago in a passing conversation. He said, “You boys keep getting richer and I keep getting poorer”, he pause for a second and said, “You know really…that’s the way it should be.”

I’ve been young. I’ll admit I’ve forgotten many times, but there is still a little bit of Grandpa Street in me who’s not afraid to start over and sleep on a mattress straight from the dump to see a better life for my kids and family.