Living life right

It was just after I leased my car when it hit me. I don’t really need a car…at least not every day. I just need it during production and for meetings. Since I work out of a home office, my commute is about 25 feet. I had leased the car for a month. Later that day I found out I could get the same rate daily-weekly-monthly from the Thrifty Rental Car place next to my building. I could rent as needed for virtually the same rate. Most everything is within walking distance and the Metro is only about 15 minute walk from me. In fact I can see it out the window now. It’s a good way to save a few bucks. The rental guy was nice enough to let me out of the contract. But the big problem was returning the car. It was way across town, about a 45 minute drive on the other side of the river. Reg dropped me off on Saturday, but it was night, I wasn’t paying attention and he took a different route to avoid traffic. I called the rental guy for directions and he didn’t know. So he referred me to his driver. The driver was a Filipino that didn’t speak English much if at all. He tried his best to give me discernible direction but he said Mattom bridge when he must have meant Markhtoum (I realized later) so I tried my best to write it all down but I really couldn’t understand much of anything he said. When I asked him to clarify, he always said yes so I don’t think he understood me either. Oh, by the way it seems the standard protocol for anyone over here that doesn’t understand is to answer yes to any question. They certainly don’t want to say no and look foolish. Rarely do they ever ask you to repeat yourself either. So there I was only knowing I had to drive north and then west a little…I think. I knew I was going to get lost. I hoped I could at least get close by some landmark then they could come and get me and guide me in. But as I got in the car a strange thing happened to me. I prayed that God would lead me there. So I started driving and then I figured Markhtoum, must have meant matton. So I just kind followed that inner voice/intuition/God that I’ve grown quite accustomed to hearing. A left turn here, straight through the roundabout there. I didn’t see any of the landmarks that he referenced. After about 15 minutes, sometimes resisting the urge to make a u-turn, I turned the corner. It was a quite surreal “Use the force Luke” moment but I didn’t close my eyes, nor did I destroy the deathstar, but instead I came directly across the rental car place on the very first try!!! Not only that but there was a parking place right in front. How did that happen? Dubai is a very confusing place in which to drive (the roads are like thousands of years old). Yet there I was, I didn’t make one wrong turn. I looked at the directions and I don’t think I understood or followed even one. Yet I made it easily. It made me think that God really does care about the little things. Oh you could say it’s a coincidence like most people are apt to say if they are not believers. But instead I knew this was God. If he cares about what direction Im going on the road, don’t think he’s going to be delivering on all the bigger promises he told me that he had in store for me.

After I dropped the car off, it was about a 15 minute walk to the Metro. I was so enjoying the downtown souq-type of atmosphere. I was just breathing in the culture and my surroundings. Im so lucky and blessed to be in this situation. There were scores of Indian laborers around me (some don’t believe in deodorant) and I was just soaking in the experience. Most people don’t get this much cultural interaction in a lifetime, and I get it in an afternoon. Im so fortunate. I got on the Metro and for $1.50 I rode back across town (30-40 miles) and walked back to my apartment. Oh, I took a bunch of pictures of my building and environment too. As I was walking to the beach, I came across this guy walking his camels. Are you kidding me? A guy walking camels on the beach at sunset. So I ran as fast as I could to get the perfect framing for the picture. If you want to take a look at that pictures and pictures of my new temporary home you can find them at this link. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=286847&id=751722138&l=f4a497ee5d

I finished my first script today and sent it to my partners. Good news in that they both really like it. These are exciting times for me. Im very blessed and very fortunate. I hope I don’t come across as egotistical in this blog. I try to detail my successes and my failures in detail. I think through my life one could make a very strong argument that God does indeed exist. At least that’s the argument I use, when I have to use words.

By the way I appreciate all the great emails and facebook comments I’ve been receiving. They are so encouraging. By sharing this blog with you, I feel as if we’re both in this together.