9 Days and Counting – Detours

For Allison, Dan, Betty, Aaron, Malcolm, Robyn, and me, the days are head are narrowly focused toward our peace mission to Africa. Yet, there are detours.

Robyn and Betty are concentrating today — and good parts of many days before this — on the release of Betty’s new book (co-authored with Nanon Williams), The Darkest Hour, and the premiere of the documentary of the same name produced by Robyn (both projects by Robyn’s GoodMedia Press). The big event is tonight on the SMU campus in Dallas. That’s a pretty special detour.

I saw on FaceBook that Dan and Allison had a date night recently. As busy as they have been with work and getting ready for Africa, there hasn’t been much time for those wonderful events. That’s a pretty special detour.

Aaron and Malcolm are working and trying to get as much family time as possible in these last few days. That’s a pretty special detour.

Several of us from the team plan to be at Robyn’s and Betty’s event tonight in Dallas. That’s a really special detour.

Detours. Little changes in route. Some caused by challenges. Some representing opportunities.

I should be on my way to Dallas right now. But I came across, with the able assistance of Nancy, my wife, one of those detours you would label as “opportunity.”

Today is senior day at the West Texas Fair and Rodeo. All of us old codgers (and young lasses like Nancy) get in free. That isn’t enough to tempt us to tromp through the dusty lots at the fairground. But something else is.

And so we stood in line for a half hour, in the sun, in the dust, to buy two of Harold’s World Famous BBQ chopped beef sandwiches. We wolfed them down pretty quickly — after all, this was a detour. And, in truth, Nancy is much more refined than I am. She didn’t wolf her sandwich down. But that’s why she only finished half of hers.

To those of you from outside of Abilene, that trip to the fairgrounds doesn’t sound like that big a deal. In fact, you might be tempted to pass an opportunity like that by. But then, you’ve probably never had Harold’s BBQ. You see, Harold retired a few years ago, leaving a gaping hole in the BBQ industry of Abilene. Fortunately we have dozens of other great smoked meat and sauce shops. But Harold’s BBQ is . . . Harold’s BBQ. And that’s a special detour.

Detours are all different. But all are important. After all, sometimes a detour is simply where you find yourself. And that’s reason enough to make the best of it.

Our trip to Rwanda and Kenya is, in the grand scheme of things, this month’s detour for us. And, we will be making the best of it. And that’s a very special detour.

2 Comments

  1. One major detour down! Thank you so much Joey for making the trip to Dallas for The Darkest Hour book release and film premiere. Your support is so meaningful, especially during this incredibly busy time! We love you!

    • Great job last night, Robyn! Such a powerful film and heard so much to think about. Can’t wait to get into the book — although I may until after Africa. 🙂

      See the next post. Coming soon to a computer near you. 😉

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