character

The side of town where I live is the older district. Not the part of town that was built in the 50’s with a lot of ranch style homes nor is it the new homes area that sprang up ridiculously in the 1990’s, but the old district… the one built when the town was built in the 1850’s which in Missouri is about right. The homes in this area are very colorful and each one different in construction as if to say people used to appreciate the differences and took the time to instill quality and diversity.
The house I live in isn’t even a house at all, it’s a basement. The actual house is a ranch style home built in the post war era and the two walk out basement apartments were actually a part of the home when it was constructed. It’s by far the newest home in the neighborhood. All the newness has actually worn off by now with the numerous amounts of tenants that has lived here and there are a few things here that just need updating from time to time.
The other day I flipped on the switch of the garbage disposal that was added years after the house was built I’m sure, but the switch failed to kick on the disposal. The funny thing is I wasn’t surprised. The disposal has been failing to kick on for several years and I have to kind of smack it with my hand against the switch for it to come on. For most people that would be a curse because we are a group of people who just want things to work. I mean obviously we want our cars and computers and airplanes to work. Airplanes working right are a very good thing to a guy who’s the size of a football player with an unhealthy fear of freefalling from 35,000 feet, but when my disposal doesn’t work the first time, I don’t have an anguish or frustration… I honestly kind of like it. I know that probably sounds a little weird…but its true. I get this little quirky smile on my face when it happens. It adds character I think. My home has a lot of things that work right and I like it like that way, but when that disposal doesn’t kick on right and I have to go all Fonzi on the thing and bump it to get it to work, I personally find the character it possesses as an endearing trait.

I’ve noticed there are friends of mine who have some character flaws. They might overeat a bit, or complain about things too much, or worry too much or they might be too much of a mother hen, but if we took these small peccadilloes away from these people? Would they cease to be endearing? I know there is a difference between endearing and annoying… sometimes it’s a fine line, but the endearing stuff is what makes a person have great character. Without that kind of character, we’d have no great stories to tell. God isn’t into cookie cutter types of people. If we all looked and acted alike, he’d probably get bored. He likes go getters, he likes compassionate folks and yes he really must love the knuckleheads because he made so many of them. He is a God of diversity, and that is a good thing, cause so many of us are different.

If you are like me, you are working hard at writing a great story with your life. Personally? I think I have tons of character… in fact probably a lot more than what you find on those slick sporty models with the stripes and perfect lines. In my own way I am kind of like an old jeep. You know, not a new one, but a red one that’s a little sun faded you’d see parked in front of a café somewhere in the mountains in Colorado, with the stickers of where it’s been and seen. You know the kind, with a bikini top on it and big tires, a loud stereo and maybe a little dab of rust on the fender well, and a “Have a nice day” tire cover with the yellow happy face on the spare in the back. I know the author of perfection is doing his work in me lately and yeah we are overhauling the engine… but the same great character still exists and kind of makes you smile because you know it’s the only one like it around... ; )