It's a Big Boat With Airplanes

Hello All!

Sorry I missed Friday's reading -- I had to go and pay some traffic tickets.

No, these weren't my tickets -- they were my son's.  He's in the Navy and is off on deployment somewhere in the Persian Gulf area.  He wanted to pay some old tickets he received when he was in town ... but the court wouldn't let him do it remotely.  They allowed that someone else could show up at the ticket window and pay it for him, though.

I told him I'd do it for him.  Got the necessary cash, went to the courthouse, waited in line for about and hour-and-a-half.  Finally, get to the window:

"I'd like to pay these tickets for my son."

"Well, he has to pay them in person. Where is he?"

"He's in the Navy; he's on an aircraft carrier somewhere."

"He's what?"

"He's on an aircraft carrier."

"What?"

"An aircraft carrier.  It's like a big boat with airplanes."

"Oh -- well, he can't pay them here anyway.  You're at the wrong courthouse -- you can tell from the ticket number that you need to go to Precinct Five."

"Oh, sorry -- I guessed I missed class the day we studied ticket numbers.  Can you tell me where Precinct Five is?"

"I don't know."

"I don't know either.  Do have you a phone number or any other information about it?"

"No."

(Fortunately, the couple in back of me knew where Precinct Five was -- so I thanked them and got in the car.  Drive across town (driving across town in Houston is not a trivial matter!), get in another line, wait another hour-and-a-half.)

"I'd like to pay these tickets for my son."


(we go through the whole aircraft carrier thing again)


"Okay, that's $614.00 (I have no idea what he did to get the tickets!)"


"Alright."  I start counting out cash.


"Oh no sir.  We don't take cash, only money orders."

I look up at the sign next to the window.  "But your sign says you take cash."

"We do.  But we don't take cash for this."

"But don't the bills say "Legal Tender for all Debts"?"

"Yes, but we only take money orders."

I think one benefit of getting older is realizing when you're not going to win the argument, so you quit before you get frustrated.

Not winning this one, so I leave, find a money oder place, convert cash to money orders, come back.  Wait in line another hour and a half.

"I'd like to pay these tickets for my son.  I have the money orders."

"Alright, let me get your paperwork."

(No aircraft carrier story; darn, I was enjoying telling it.)

"Okay, I'm back.  We just need your son to sign these two forms."

(Cool -- I get to do the aircraft carrier story again after all!)

"Well, I'm sorry, but he has to sign these forms or I can't complete the transaction."

"There's no way that can happen -- my son's off on deployment; with this Korean thing, I have no idea if he's even coming home.  Is there anything we can do?"

(Now, here's where my faith in people and public servants gets renewed.)

"Well, I tell you what.  I need to leave this counter and go stand on the other side of the office for about two minutes.  Perhaps when I get back your son will have managed to sign these two forms?"

Clerk leaves and I grab a pen.  Sure enough, when the clerk returns, my son has managed to sign both of the forms!

All's well that ends -- even if it takes all day!

Let's get on to this week's reading!

Our first card is the Knight of Pentacles.

This cards suggests being solid and steady -- someone you can count on every time to get the job done.  Not necessarily the flashiest or fastest ... but sure and steady wins the race after all.

My problem trying to be the Knight of Pentacles is that I get impatient -- if I don't see immediate results, I get frustrated.  Let's check our next card for some help

Our next card is ... the Ten of Wands.

Okay, this make sense.  The Ten of Wandss is busy plodding away at his task.  He was plodding away yesterday, and plodding away the day before, and the day before, etc.  This Ten doesn't get impatient, though.  He knows (he KNOWS) that he's going to accomplish his task.  He knows that it may be a slow process, but if he keeps at it and doesn't give or or get frustrated, he'll manage to complete his task.

And sometimes that's the way we have to solve problems -- just keep hacking away at them, one step at a time.  Just cause we don't close the loop right away doesn't mean we're never going to manage to do so.  Success is waiting for us -- as long as we take the time to see it through!

And that's what it looks like this week!  Hope you have a good one!


Woodsong