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Tales from the West Texas Dust

© Coy Holley

SPECIAL THANKSGIVING ESSAY: THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR WHILE WAITING ON A TRAIN

One thing that I have developed a real dislike for is when you're trying to get somewhere in a hurry and then, when you reach a railroad crossing, suddenly you find that a train in its infinite wisdom has decided to leave the station that is somewhere around 100 cars long (which, I'm told is the equivalent of 1 or 2 miles). Add to the fact that the section of town where I live is situated in such a way that when a very long train leaves the train station, you might as well have erected a mobile, but immovable Berlin Wall that prevents you from going any further into the side of town that you're trying to get to. And all the king's horses, men, and even Sancho Panza (yes, the ol' battler of windmills himself) can't do anything with who knows how many tons of frieght moving at speeds up to about 40 miles an hour inside the city. Talk about something that tries your patience.

And yet, it's that train that I have to wait for that reminds me of various things to be thankful for in comparison to last year at this time. To understand that, you will have to travel back with me exactly one year to the events and situations that surrounded me when I observed this same occasion the last time it came around.

Here's what it was like: In September, just before I left to go to the Feast of Tabernacles in Hot Springs, AR, my grandfather died of compications from lung cancer. I didn't always have the best relationship with him - and, I will admit, the whole thing didn't hit me quite as hard as some of my other family members. But, nevertheless, his funeral was still quite a sobering experience.

Then, when I left for the Feast, I made some mistakes during that time that would bring me yet again to the brink of financial disaster. I used money that should have gone to things like rent and my cell phone to instead take that trip. (but I will admit that at the same time, I'm definitely glad that I went - both to Hot Springs and also afterwards to Dallas for a Promise Keepers national conference).

Within the next month, I would lose my cell phone again for good (or at least it seemed to be - since I just got it back recently after nearly a year of going without it). And I would have to go through another period of facing the possibility of eviction from my apartment (which I dread much worse than root canal surgery). You can say, among other things, that perilous times were about to come upon me yet again.

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