Wouldn't Ya Think So?

You might find my posts to be a little thought provoking for a little while. In my English class we are studying non-fiction essays. Things like Emerson works, some of Annie Dillard's essays. Really weird and thought provoking stuff; slightly abstract thoughts. Kind of like while I was reading Hamlet all my stuff was poetic and oddly worded. And when I was studying existentialism and absurdism, all my thoughts were in existential and absurd form. If we were to go into a poetry unit, you guys would get an ear full of the most beautiful poetry (all of it by yours truly, of course). Lucky you, we aren't going to have a poetry unit...this tri-mester.
I was talking with a friend today (big shocker) when she said that she was a "gift from God." To those of you who don't know what this means I will explain. In saying this she was not saying that she was the best thing ever. In fact there was, I'm sure, no pleasure taken in saying this thing. This phrase, "a gift from God" is a term that my youth pastor used in a sermon once for "big church". He was talking about dealing with difficult people (everyone). If you are around people you are going to be frustrated and annoyed. That's just the way it is. So the idea that he presented was that these people in our lives that are particularly difficult to live with are "gifts from God". God has placed them in our lives to teach us things like patience. This is why my friend called herself a "gift from God".
Anyway, I started thinking about it. Who are the "gifts from God" in my life? Who am I a "gift from God" to? How do I deal with those people who are "gifts from God"? (I'll stop using the quotation marks really soon. Just hold on a little longer) In what way am I a "gift from God" to others? Am I obnoxious? I know I'm not perfect. Lord knows I try hard to not annoy people. But I don't sacrifice my identity for that goal, and my identity has some weird quirks. I've only ever met a few people who just didn't like me. You know the kind of person I'm talking about. It doesn't have anything to do with what you do or say, they just don't like you. No reason. They loath you for the sake of loathing. But, generally speaking, most people like me.
Still, do I come off as obnoxious sometimes? I'm sure I do. I know I find myself obnoxious at times. Then I wonder why my friends are still sticking around.
Here is a question that you regular readers would know the answer to. Do I ever sound arrogant? I can assure you that I don't have any real self-perceptions of grandeur. Usually when I make such comments, they are completely in jest. I like to act as though I think I'm great sometimes. Mostly cause I know that I'm so far from it.
There are two kinds of jokes. The kind that are funny because there is at least a hint of truth to them, and the kind that are funny because they are so far from the truth that there is no way they could be true. Like me saying that, as a senior in high school, I think I'll go beat up some freshman and take his lunch money. Some of you might think this to be no laughing matter. But to those people who actually know me and my non-violent personality, this could actually sound pretty funny coming from me. Usually after saying something like that I'd go into the details of how I would do it. Of course it's the biggest fish tale you ever heard, but that's the point.
I had an odd experience today. I was sitting at my computer talking online with my friend when I decided that I wanted a drink. Always having my water bottle close at hand, so I was able to simply reach forward and snatch my bottle from the desk just as soon as the thought came to me. As I was bringing my water bottle closer I started to stretch my arms above my head. Now, at this point the lid was still on the bottle. So, I decided "why waste time? I'll just open the bottle while I'm stretching." I'm sure some of you are thinking this story will have a wet ending. Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm still dry.
It was simply the fact that I opened the bottle over my head. I had opened the bottle many times: in front of me, away from me, to the side of me. Never, however, had I opened the bottle OVER me. This may not seem very significant. "Kin's finally lost it. Laughed one too many times and flipped a breaker or something." I assure you that I have not lost my sanity, and I'm not under the influence of any substances. I have simply experienced something from a different perspective.
I know people talk about this kind of thing all the time. "It's a whole new experience seeing things from a different perspective." And it's true. Some times the normal perspective just becomes so common that we take it for granted. "Sure I can open the water bottle without spilling it everywhere. I do it all the time. I don't even have to think about it. it just happens. I can even open it with a little style if I want to. No problem. Open. Closed. Open. Closed." But when I took the bottle to a new perspective I had to think about how to open it. I had to focus on how to make sure it didn't spill (especially considering it was right over my head). It was like learning to walk all over again, except that I already knew a lot about how to do it. It was like experiencing something for the first time. This thing that I had been doing for months was now something entirely new.
I'm going to try something different with this post. I know that people actually read this. I usually only write for my sake. This time I would like to challenge the readers of this rather odd blog. The challenge I give to you is this: Take the bottle, stretch your arms above your head, and open the bottle. I don't know what the bottle is for you. It could be anything that you do all the time without really thinking about it (please don't take this as an opportunity to drive while sitting upside down.) All you have to do is take this thing that has become something mediocre to you and try it differently. You will notice that there is an important step to my challenge--stretch. You must stretch. The whole point is that it is not the way you usually do things. There has to be some stretching involved. It may be a little stretch. Perhaps it will be a big stretch.
Again, I don't know what this means for you. I am merely asking that you look to the things that were once so magnificent and see once again how greatly blessed you are.