Faith in Action

By last night at around 6 or 7pm, I was thinking to myself, if my life were to end today, I’ve had a magnificent journey.  I was so high off of the day’s activities that I was almost levitating.  Let me explain.

I woke up before the crack of dawn yesterday.  I had to prepare my testimony for the Darfur Divestment bill hearing.  I only had to type a page and a half, but I was upset with myself because I knew I should have done it the night before.  While I used to justify my last minute behavior by saying, “I thrive under pressure”; I’ve come to myself now and know that it’s really that I have a problem with procrastination sometimes.  (Lord knows I’ll be glad when I beat that demon.) 

So there I was at 5am finishing up my testimony.  I pulled it out rather quickly.  After 2 years of actively advocating for the people of Darfur, I can produce the stats, facts, and figures surrounding this tragedy in an instant.  Testimony done - good.  Now I hit the print button while running to the shower and thinking about what I was going to wear.  uh - problem.  What? The printer has no ink.  Arrgh!!  6am.  I switch the printers.  (I’m fortunate to have two printers.  A Canon Pixma that really works well with my Canon Rebel XT and a HP for basic printing.)  The document prints and I’m on to the next thing. 

6:45am.  Wife rolls over in bed - looks at clock with scrunched eyes, “Bay, aren’t you late?” 

“No, I’m right on time”, I said lying to myself.  I knew that I had to be in Annapolis by 7:30am. 

I’m shaving while wife is downstairs making me something to eat.  She knows that on days like this I move too fast to think about eating.  She puts some oatmeal in a cup (yes oatmeal - I’m trying to eat healthier and watch my cholesterol.  A brotha ain’t gettin’ no younger.  I have to take care of my body.), turkey sausage in a napkin, kisses me goodbye, and goes back to bed.  I run outside at 7:11am disgusted with myself because I forgot that  there’s snow/ice on the car that wife would be driving that day.  I run back inside - grab the scraper brush thing and start cleaning off the car.  I can’t have her outside cleaning off the car as cold as it was.  The car is clean (mostly) and I jump in the other vehicle and take off.

It’s 7:11am and I must be in Annapolis by 7:30 - 7:45 at the latest.  I live in Baltimore.  According to mapquest, I’m 40 miles away and I need 50 minutes to get there. 

Legislative hearings in Annapolis aren’t like many Black Baptist churches - they will start on time.  If you aren’t there, they will leave you at the terminal. 

Would morning rush hour block my path?

Would I make the hearing?

Would I be there in time to testify at my appointed time?

What flavor of oatmeal did my wife put in the cup?

Find the answers to these questions and more in part 2 of “A Day for Darfur”.