A Whole New World

      Wednesday night was when it began. During church orchestra rehearsal for our upcoming Christmas production.

      While counting rests I received a text from my new best friend, Hector, from Toyota, wondering if I could come to the dealership and get my brand-new Tacoma. It had arrived earlier in the day and was now waiting for me at the dealership, calling out my name.

      I asked if I could pick it up on Thursday and he said they could deliver it to our house, which I thought was great, so I texted, “Yes,” thinking Hector meant Thursday but he actually meant right away.

      My next text (yes, I’ll confess, Dr. Bewley, I was looking at my phone during rehearsal, but we had a LOT of rests to count so I had plenty of time) said they were in front of my house with the Tacoma and where should they leave the keys.

      And just like that, in the middle of rehearsal, I moved into a new beginning.

      Thursday morning I moved some of my stuff from my old Tacoma (which, believe it or not, was my second one, and all three look the same – same model (four-door 4WD), same color (Barcelona Red), same heartbeat (when I find something I like I can be loyal for a long, long time)) into my new Tacoma, went online to add it to my insurance, and left for Whataburger for a bit of writing and reading.

      After about an hour, Cyndi called to tell me she had been at a Scout Guide social at Black Rifle Coffee, and she told me they had a lot of tables, which was her way of saying I might want to try it out as an addition to my writing locations.

      “Have you been driving your new truck?” she asked?

      “Of course. But even though it looks and drives 95% the same as my previous two, unlike either of them all the interior containment slots were different.”

      “Oh no. What will you do?”

      “I’ll eventually learn all the new places and it will feel like home, but in the meantime, I’ll be lost every time I reach for a highlighter or glasses or Carmex.”

      And then, while sitting in one of my favorite booths at Whataburger on Andrews Highway, while on the phone with Cyndi, it occurred to me I should take advantage of this unstable season I’m in and make changes I’ve been afraid to make. Once I know a squishy few weeks are in my future, why not tackle everything at once?

      I told Cyndi, “Since I’m not a big coffee drinker I seldom go to places like Black Rifle, but as long as I’ll be learning all new container locations in my new pickup I might as well experiment with other new projects and see what sticks. Expand my horizons, and, like that.”

      “Wow. A whole new world.”

      “Yeah. 2024 is already looking better.”

      Cyndi was about to hang up and get on with her busy life when I said, “And it gets even better. Our yard nativity figures are still standing up!”

      “Really? After four days?”

      Keeping our yard nativity upright has been a constant multi-year struggle for me. A dark plague that has threatened my joy of Christmas. There isn’t a morning when I don’t find at least one wiseman or shepherd face down in the yard. Last weekend I glued some metal tubing to the backs so I could add additional metal stakes, and strung wire on other to keep the pieces together … and they’ve stayed standing now for four days. A brand-new record.

      Even in the midst of this rickety unstable period of my life, begun with my new pickup, I’m facing, I’ve found new stability.

I will make a list of things to change.

I’m open to suggestions, if you have any.

      It’s a whole new world.

      Merry Christmas.