Devil on my shoulder

Once again, on a long car ride, listening to "This American Life" I was inspired by the topic. Long drives give you the opportunity to reflect on your life. Long drives give me the opportunity to catch up on podcasts too. And come up with blog entries. This week's stories on TAL are about "people who are trying to convince you that the Devil is there, whispering in your ear...and stories of people who try to deny he's there, against some very heavy evidence." Hearing the prologue made me recall the day that I elbowed my brother, Ira, in the stomach, for no apparent reason.


I was probably four or five years old. It was cold outside, and we were on our way somewhere. We had on heavy coats. My dad was rushing us; we must have been late, or he was just simply trying to get us moving. Without thought, I walked next to Ira. I bent my right arm, raised it high into the air, and hit him, square in the middle of his stomach, with all of my might. When asked why I did it, I had no reason. Something just told me to do it. I wasn't mad at him. I didn't dislike him at the moment for anything he had done to me that day. A voice just told me to do it. So I did.


That got me thinking about things I could recall that I've done in my life that would be considered bad. Not necessarily things that could be driven or motivated by the Devil. Just bad. I thought I would round it all out. Make it "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly." I've written about some of these things in the past. Not all of them. And I am sure there are more.


The Good:

• I spent nearly a year as a full-time volunteer at the Mesa Senior Center


• During an Internship in college, I taught English as a Second Language to a woman from China


• I volunteered at the Special Olympics Bowling Tournament when I was in college


• I am a lector/commentator at our church


• I was a peer minister my senior year of college


• I teach creative writing at Harper College (NEW CLASS will begin in March 2010)


• I used to help deliver meals on wheels to home bound seniors in our community (the family still does)


• We adopted our dog, Rex, from a shelter (I've vowed to stop calling him "the dog"; as in, "someone feed the dog...")


• We adopted our past dog, Friday, from a shelter


• I am a member of our Parish Pastoral Council


• I've never cheated on my wife

The Bad:

• I used to steal quarters from a currency exchange when I was a kid


• I did anabolic steroids for two years when I was a teenager


• I've stolen money from my parents when I was a kid


• I used to give out (read: STEAL) free clothes and take some for myself when I worked at Gold's Gym when I was a teenager


• I've lied to people I love during various times throughout my life


• I've cheated on ex-girlfriends before I met Cyndi


• I elbowed my brother, Ira, in his stomach, for no reason, when I was a kid


• I stole candy from a convenience store when I was a kid


• I stole cigarettes from a convenience store when I was a teenager


• I've taken the Lord's name in vain


• We gave up our two dogs for adoption several years ago

The Ugly:

• When I lived in Arizona, I was involved in a car accident. I was drunk, and I drove away after it happened. As retold, here: http://ayeartill40.blogspot.com/2009/05/night-i-touched-charles-barkleys.html