chip chippity chipper.

{The drink in question}

The Starbucks barista forgot my order, and there I sat for twelve minutes coming up with a good argument demanding my money back. I was going to cleverly defend myself and the fact that I should not have to remind them that I just payed them five dollars for a coffee and they had forgotten about it. 
My speech was so detailed, so well prepared, so rehearsed. I went up there expecting a timid teenage girl to drop her head and apologize. Instead, I was greeted with the most irritating, chipper, high-pitched voice. "Here's your drink. Where are you headed today?"
Where did she think I was headed? I was sitting right there the whole time. If I was headed somewhere I would have saved time and gone to the drive thru. I put my head down and pointed to my seat. Angry thoughts ran through my head. "Doesn't she know what she just did? Does she realize that I do not want to come back to this place ever again because of her forgetfulness? Why is she talking like that!?" I was so taken off guard with her cheerfulness despite her obvious failure that I just bit my lip and walked away after I whispered a meek "thank you."
Even though I didn't do anything wrong in this situation, it was kind of silly of me to get so worked up about it in my head. I should have responded back like we are called to do in Ephesians 4:1-3, "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace."

Next time something like this happens, I'll be the chipper one that takes everybody off guard!

who do you think you are?

Sometimes I think I'm a sailor (hence the get up here on the blog), even though I have calculated that I only spend approximately 0.04% of my time throughout the year on a sailboat. I spend more time in school than I do sailing, I should consider myself a book worm. Except for...I never do the assigned readings readings. But that's not the point. The point is, we tend to set labels for how we see ourselves or how we want others to see us. 

If I would describe myself in three words, I'd say that I am:

1) a student, 

2) a sailor, and 

3) an African (this one is kind of a joke, but kind of not, cos I love Africa!) 

But now I've got to thinking, is that really what I want to be known for? 

Do I want them to write on my tombstone: Kara Warnock. Lifelong student, pretend sailor, and wannabe African....? 

No. 

I want to be known as a loving sister, daughter, and girlfriend. I want to be known as a true friend, not a fake sailor. I want to be known as a lover of God and not a lover of Africa. I want to do something with my life, and not wait around until someone tells me what to do with it. So what am I waiting for? 

As Switchfoot said (yes, I am quoting another cheesy band - at least it's not Relient K), "This is your life. Are you who you want to be?" If you answer this question with a yes, then you are ahead of the game - and way ahead of me. If not, then go out and be who you want to be known as. It's your life!

Tattooooooo!

Okay, so this one obviously isn't real - just henna! But it is what I want, and where I want. Although I'd like blank ink and a bit smaller, so you have to glance twice and say "is that a tattoo, or a smudge?"

It's something I've wanted for a couple years now, ever since I started sailing. I think I would be able to justifiably get this tattoo after I successfully completed 5,000 nautical miles on the ocean blue. Apparently, that was the rule back in the day. So far, I only have about 1070 NM, so I've got to start sailing before I can get this one!

The other tattoo I've wanted, since my first time to Africa in 2005, was a black star beside the word "Hope". In Ghana, where I went twice, the national flag has a black star in the middle which represents the hope for the African people. After my third time to Africa this year (to Tanzania), my passion for the hope of Africa's people grew so much more, and so did my desire for this tattoo!

Where are you?

Being out in the middle of nowhere will sometimes help you realize where you are.