rambling...

This one is pretty raw.  I didn't do much editing; I guess it's more of a journal entry.

This morning, I studied for Elevations.  I studied stories and wrote out thoughts to discuss around a camp fire in Colorado's Front Range.  At lunch, I drove to a local park where I meet up with street kids twice a week for a running group I am starting.  No one showed.  It was pretty cold though, so I didn't mind.  Also this afternoon, I shopped for office supplies.  If there were office-related, non-marriage, equivalents to "honey-do's", that is how I spent a portion of my afternoon.  Later on I took my friend "Bob" to the bowling alley that we and our friends go to every week.  Last week he and another guy nearly got into a fight in the parking lot.  They didn't listen to my warnings and the owner of the bowling alley came out.  "I don't need this man!" he said.  The brawl continued to grow.  I told him I didn't need it either.  Finally, we got everyone relatively calmed down and back on the bus.  Over the next 5 minutes, while I talked with owner, 5 police cars rolled by one after another.  The owner banned Bob and the other kid from the bowling alley.  The next day I ran into Bob downtown and he pulled me aside and apologized for disrespecting me, Dry Bones, and the bowling spot.  I told him that I really appreciated it and that all was forgiven.  I had to tell him that the owner said he wasn't allowed to come back, but I also told him that an apology might go a long way.  We made a plan to go out there.  That happened this afternoon after the office-shopping.  He approached the owner and told him that he was sorry.  It was powerful, y'all.  Things on the streets are more often than not handled with violence.  Rarely with talking.  Bob set an example today.  He made something right and didn't use his fists.  The owner invited him to come back.  I was so proud of my friend.  The bus rolled up to the bowling alley shortly after that and we all bowled for the next couple of hours.  Spirits were high and there was no drama.  Later, after bowling, the wind outside at the meal was freezing, and I regretted shaving my winter beard.  But we all huddled around together and enjoyed being together.

Much love
-Zach