The Long and Awaited Update

After my "Visit the Friends of California Tour 2005," and a longer stay than anticipated at home, I have now been in Boulder for a month. I can't seem to understand where all of that time has gone. When I drove my car into this state, I didn't have a place to live for sure, or a job, or a mark on my driving record. All but one of those things has changed now.

My first night here, I stayed in a house with the group of women I was initially planning on living with. Shortly before I came, some things went awry and I found out there wasn't space for me in the house. That first night in pre-sleep conversation, one of the ladies and I realized there was an apartment directly next door to the house, owned by the same landlord and unoccupied. We called in the morning, after asking Jesus to give him a generous and understanding heart. A deal was struck. I am using one bedroom and the bathroom in the upstairs of the apartment and sharing living space in the house next door and paying an extremely reduced rate. It is as if we all live in the same house, only I have to walk 10 feet outdoors to go to my room. I live with a powerhouse of wonderful women and I would probably be going crazy if it were not for that. There is another house of great men and together our two houses and some other friends make up the community here. We meet once a week, on Wednesday, for Bible Study, to intentionally check in with each other, and for worship or whatever may come. If it weren't for that aspect it would feel almost too convincingly like the cast of Friends, considering most of us are never working.

I still do not have a job. It is difficult to find anything I am interested in, knowing I may be leaving very soon in January. I want to do something that is meaningful and will keep my interest. A friend gave me some good advice, that I need to take on the "getting a job for the summer in high school" mentality---you just have to do it. All difficult for me, I have never been in that position, I have always had a job or the promise of another. This is with the exception of moving to Fresno, when I had a job within a week of moving there. Fortunately, I have been able to earn a small amount of cash raking leaves for someone my roommate knows. I now have an application for the train. It works out that they have two central offices and one of them is in Denver. My goal for this week is to personally deliver my application, leaving a Captain Alphabet size impression.

This Sunday, I woke up in a bad place. I needed to drive and get into some open space of my own. I woke up and everyone had gone to church so I decided to go to Denver for the day. My mind was preoccupied with wondering if I had made the right choice to move here, wanting a purpose, and realizing that I like to drive because it helps me think. I broke from my preoccupation to realize I might have passed the street I needed to take to get to the highway that would take me to Denver. Naturally, I thought I would make a U-turn at the next intersection. While waiting in the intersection I checked to make sure there were no signs posted to inform me that my intended maneuver might be illegal. No sign in sight, I performed the action, got slightly stuck, used the reverse, straightened out, proceeded on my way, checked the mirror, saw flashing lights, pulled over into a Starbucks parking lot (of all the embarrassing places to be pulled over for the first time in my life!), and received a ticket from a condescending and unsympathetic Boulder police officer. I, Shannon Roark, was then issued a court date for December 1. Is this supposed to inform me that I should stay in Boulder? I don't care for that style of informing. I couldn't also help but think about all of those very encouraging Christian bumper stickers that let me know that "God allows U-turns." I pondered my mixed messages with tear dripping eyes most of the way to Denver.

Sadly, Boulder offered up another blow when, on my third day here, I broke a pre-molar. I got to learn the ins and outs of investigating the least expensive dental care. Fortunately I found Dental Aid. Unfortunately, I join a number of other low-income no insurance clients in my need for dental care. This translates into a five week (plus) wait, that will end November 21 when I get my very first crown and possible root canal. It may be needless to say, but my adventurous spirit has been met with harsh realities. Meanwhile, I have been thinking and talking about you all an awful lot.