What I've learned. . .

So, I've been on my own here for a little over a year now. And since I'm prone to both lists and nostalgia, I think it's only appropriate for a top ten list of things I've learned since moving out. Those of you at home, get your pens ready because you can learn from this . . .

1. Money doesn't grow on trees. Or bushes. Or even in the cracks in the sidewalks. I don't know that anything has been tougher this past year than having to deal with the challenges of finances. I started out with a good budget, but I am not prone to discipline. And I've had moments where I've had to go two weeks on nothing more than $25. It's been tough. But I'm learning (I hope) and tomorrow night I'm going to ask my dad for accountablility as I take another crack at a budget.

2. They were right. Mom and Dad, that is. Yeah, I'm 25 years old, so I should have gotten that into my head awhile back. But you don't truly get it until you have to make your own decisions and find yourself asking "what would mom and dad do in this situation?" The things your parents warn you about, chide you over, and nag you on are the very things that come back to haunt you later in life. So pay attention!

3.Grocery Shopping is an art form. Laundry is a skill. If I had gotten married and moved out, I wouldn't have to worry about those two things (just kidding!) But I must admit that I've learned the art of grocery shopping. I've learned just how long a loaf of bread can last before turning green and how long milk can go before it starts to smell. I've learned that Chef Boyardee is the best cook in the world and cooking is not my forte. Again, another reason to start that search for a wife! As for laundry...it's a skill I haven't mastered yet. Just last week I was overloading the washer and spending three hours trying to get my jeans dry (I failed and was walking around in wet Levis all day, which isn't the most comfortable feeling in the world.)

4. Who you Know DOES matter. I never could have gone out on my own, given that a customer service rep doesn't actually make a ton. So having a roommate wasn't even a question. But I also have been asked the question "does moving in with your best friend ruin your friendship?" Thankfully, God has allowed me to have a roomate that is a resounding no to this answer! Although Brandon and I have gotten in each others' hair and probably frustrated each other (him for making the apartment smell like crab for three days; me for the pile of candy wrappers that are still behind are couch) I wouldn't want another roomate--except for my eventual wife, of course. We get along great and have had a lot of fun. Another year will be a blast! We're like Joey and Chandler--only A LOT dumber and less funny. :-)


5. Please won't you not be my neighbor. Remember the good old days when everyone knew their neighbor and was quick to always smile, say hello, and have them over for tea and scrumpets? Well, that doesn't happen. But oh the wonderful welcome home...the hallways of the apartments reeking of curry, rice, and cat or whatever the Indian family down the hall is cooking. The kids down the hall screaming and yelling at the sports games. The washer and dryer being tied up for four hours. Mister Rogers must be spinning in his grave.

6. Being single has its perks. So, a year later and I'm still not dating (tell your friends!) But I'm not moping about it. It's fun. I can see movies when I want to. I can save money. I don't feel like I'm obligated to anyone. And I'm free to serve God in a way that I couldn't as a married person.

7. I'm very lazy. My aparment is constantly in need of vacuuming. My toilet gets a weird fuzz in it after a week. I make my bed maybe once every two weeks. You know what? I don't want to finish this one...

8. There is something to be said for free time. I'm a person who likes to go, go, go. But with having to pinch every penny, sometimes a night at home with a DVD is the only option. And those nights are great. After the movie, I can open my Bible, do my devotions and take a long walk with time to pray. And those quiet days speak volumes.

9. Home is still home. I live in this apartment. Home, for me, is still at my parents' in Warren. Home is where my family is. Where the ones who love me are. And that won't change.

10. God is faithful. By all accounts, I should be on skid row by now. I've been a bad steward of the money God's entrusted me with. I've fallen into temptation over and over in many matters. I should be on the street suffering from my sins right now. But God has not let me fall. Instead, he's taken my sins and turned it into something great. As Caedmon's Call sings, he's making robes from my rags. And I'm going to trust Him through the next year.

C-Dubbs