Wisdom

Sometimes wisdom comes flying at you when you least expect it.

Strike that. Wisdom always comes flying at you when you least expect it. I think it's because we so often like to forget God's plans for our own.

Yesterday at 8:45 pm I found myself in the parking lot of Stater Brothers, talking to Alex Gorski on the phone about critical source summaries while my sister was babbling apologies for accidentally hanging up on him earlier. I was upset about losing a tennis game to El Rancho, especially because I felt I played really well and should have won. I was still in the uniform I put on 8 hours prior, shivering in the odd 58 degree weather. Then there was the Spanish recording, in which I had a conversation with the pre-recorded voice of the employee helping me find a chair for my father, as well as the graduation speech incorporating a radio program on Post-Its and a reading on "tapas." Needless to say, that didn't go well. I was in a bitter, beaten down mood, and Gorski's silly jokes made my life a little better.

The conversation changed to studying for Spanish and I told him I gave up on that class, after what went down today. He was a little shocked, but then said the best thing I've heard all October.

"You're not just going to give up because of one day, are you?"

And I just kind of stopped babbling, stopped the noise coming out my mouth, stopped listening almost. Because it was that good.

It was one day. One game. One test. One twenty four hour period that didn't go as well as I would have planned. I'm sure he's had those days, be it in our shared AP classes or in football. Those days where none of it seemed worth it, where he just wanted to quit. But he hasn't. So I won't either.


I don't remember how the conversation ended. I don't even remember what happened in last night's episode of The Office or why exactly my dad needed me to stop for candy bars at Stater Brothers anyway. But I do know that I gained a new level of respect for Gorski, along with some wisdom from beyond him.