Sometimes Servanthood Pays Off Right Now!

I've had a love affair with books since childhood. Dr. Suess was like childhood crystal meth to me (not that I really know, but if COPS is any indication, that stuff is highly addictive and makes people spend a lot of money trying to get bigger and better fixes...which is the analogy I was going for). Granted, I took a break from any and all non-school reading once I discovered girls and sports in middle school.

But I came back to books once sports became non-competitive recreation again and I'd had enough reality with girls to know that pursuit was generally a waste of time...so I became an English major for a year. I found out that girls thought English-majoring boys with philosophy minors were "sensitive and thoughtful" so that was sorta win/win for a time: It was okay to enjoy reading again, and girls thought it was acceptable.

Anyway, I've blogged before about lending out books (I'm a literary crystal meth dealer in that sense...I'll loan out the first one for free, knowing you're coming back for more) and not having them return. I keep doing it. The reward always outweighs the risks.

So, in one case, I lent a book to one of my more irresponsible teens. He claimed he gave it back to me. "I KNOW I gave it back, but I'll look in my room/car/locker again. I swear I gave it back...I just don't know when."

That book is now out-of-print. It was the first work of an improving and enjoyable author, Donald Miller. There are rumors that he's going to re-release "Prayer and the Art of Volkswagon Maintenaince" under a new title with updates and all that. But there's something cool about having the first edition.

I had given up hope on the book. It was lost. So, my first-edition, with highlights and notes was gone...and I'd have to settle for a fancy schmancy reprint and re-read it...but it isn't the same.

Last night (and all week, really) my wife was at warp-speed. She's being a stage mom for Shelby's Nutcracker performance later in the week and her parents are coming out for the Thanksgiving Holiday, which both of those combine to create stress in her already busy photographer life.

Housecleaning duties fell to me as injured daughter Kelsey was limited as to doable chores. I was in full-throttle serving mode, too. It was wide-open move-the-furniture-to-vacuum and pull-knick-knacks-off-shelves-to-dust cleaning. And, lo and behold...

Bomp Ba Domp Ba Baahhhh

...My long-lost copy of Prayer and the Art of Volkswagon Maintenaince had fallen behind some other books on the shelf. He did return it! And I'm happy about the find. Complete with highlights and notes.