Column #2

Following the Steps: It’s Worth it.

With the Lenten season winding down to an end it seems like only three things happen during this time of year for Catholic religion followers. Fish, Church and fish. Okay maybe just two things.

March 5, 2010 I was carrying a conversation with a young woman at my workplace. We were busy handling clothing and just chatting to make the time pass by. We reached the topic of winning an amount of money that would make us happy and that we could get rid of some bills we had. We also discussed things that we would purchase if we had won some extra cash.

That conversation in time did come to an end. 5pm was announced over the intercom and my day at work came to an end. I then began to drive back to my hometown Cedar Rapids, Neb. Not much to do on this drive except keep my eyes on the road, listen to music and be “Patient,” until I arrive back home. (Patient is bolded for reasons to come later in this column.)

About 30 miles from home my phone began to ring and it broke the boredom that was overcome me at this point in my traveling. As I reached for my phone I noticed it said on the phone screen, “Dad-Calling.” With excitement I turned down the radio and said, “Hello.” As we begin our conversation I could even tell that my dad was excited and had something to tell me. He asked me a couple of questions about how my day went and what I had for lunch and supper because in the time of Lent on Fridays, Catholics can’t eat meat. So instead fish is put in place. This is one of the main rules of the Lenten season during the forty days. As our conversation carried on I asked him the same questions back. When I asked him about his intake of no meat for the day he responded with, “Yes I ate fish but I didn’t have to pay for it, it paid me.” I was like, “What do you mean?”

He explained to me that for supper he just decided to go to our local convenience store for a fish basket. The cook didn’t have any made up right of way and said that it would be about 10 to 15 minutes. So instead of going home for that amount of time my dad decided to just stay there and wait. But while “Patiently,” waiting he bought a scratch off ticket. He went and sat down and began to scratch off the film that covers the ticket and after scratching it off and reading his ticket, he realized that he had won $500. He said he didn’t know for sure right of way but after taking the ticket up to the counter and showing the clerk that was working, they both had confirmed that it was indeed a winning ticket.

At first I was kind of shocked and really didn’t believe him. But after he explained to me all the details and showed me the five, 100 dollar bills when I got home, I did certainly believe him.

Later that weekend my father did say he was going to pay some bills but he also treated my family and my grandpa and grandma to a Sunday dinner at a local restaurant known for their awesome fried chicken. The season of Lent has to do with many believers giving to others and reflecting on life in general. If it wasn’t for Lent this outstanding situation wouldn’t have even occurred for my dad. But with the season of Lent present, it just shows how times can change and how they help all who believe.