This weekend was a nice relaxation process right after the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving. My family spent the three days with some of our relatives, Micah and June Dooley. We played ping pong, hung out, and had a blast. But I also got to spend some time with Micah alone, just the two of us. And that experience was better than anything else that happened during our stay.
Dad asked Micah to be a part of my journey on Saturday, and since we would be leaving Sunday afternoon, it gave Micah and I all morning together. He decided to take me to his church, so we could join in fellowship together, and we left for the early service at 7:30. The service was very good, and the worship was great too. When it was over, Micah and I, instead of going straight home, decided to drive around the area a little. We talked the entire time, and I learned some things from and about Micah I had never known before. For instance, he always has something good to say, no matter what you just did. He also loves to do whatever he can to make you feel at home and happy. I was playing a game of ping pong with him the other day, and he was (to put it mildly) owning me. But every time I would miss the ball, or spike it into the net, he would still compliment me on it. It was simply amazing how he could always find something good to say to me no matter what happened.
Another quality that’s big in Micah’s life is his attitude toward children. He doesn’t treat them like dirt, he doesn’t just plain ignore them, he doesn’t talk to them with that condescending attitude that grownups have when they forget that everyone starts as a kid, and he doesn’t even lower himself to the kid’s level. Instead, he lifts the kid up to his height, and talks to them man-to-man. Another nice thing about Micah is his never-ending patience. No matter how many times you didn’t hear him, or messed up what you were doing, he would never get mad.
His wonderful personality traits were fascinating, but above all, he had a ton of good, insightful pieces of advice on marriage and dating. He has suffered through a divorce, in which he “was too hasty and didn’t choose the right woman,” so he knows about marriage’s tribulations firsthand. He started by informing me that before marrying, you should make absolutely sure that your mate-to-be is the one that God has chosen for you. As Fiddler On The Roof so aptly put it, “I could get stuck-for good!” He said that no one should ever marry for instant gratification, even if it seems right, because you have to stay with that person for the rest of your life. Instead, use your date nights to get to know the other person better, and learn what their tastes are; not for anything else, especially any possible thing a guy would have in mind late Friday night (use your imaginations).
After our talk, we finally reached Athens, our destination. Micah drove me around the town, and showed me some of the prominent points; namely, the University of Georgia. He pointed out the famous arches, and we drove past UGA stadium. It looked kind of big, and the people cleaning up after the big game yesterday seemed dwarfed compared to its immense size. Micah also took me to the Georgia soccer and softball fields too. Finally, though, it was time to head back home, and after grabbing some lunch, we pulled in to the driveway half an hour later. We had spent a good long while together, with much talking and palaver taking place. I know I enjoyed myself, and Micah said that he had fun spending time together as well. And hopefully, we’ll be able to do it again. Just the two of us: talking, interacting, and playing ping pong.
