If you leave, they will come...

I revisited a life lesson last night at the 24th of July fireworks. Well, calling it a life lesson would be stretching it...

A couple of my friends and I decided to check out the fireworks display in Spanish Fork. We got there a few minutes before 10:00 (when we thought they were supposed to start) and staked out a place on a random sidewalk/edge of someone's lawn. Thank goodness Scott doesn't bring in his Wal-Mart purchases from his trunk because he had a couple big towels we laid down that made for some great makeshift blankets. In the distance, we could see the field where from which the fireworks were supposed to be set off, so we sat and waited.

And waited. By 10:30, we were about ready to give up. Every once in awhile, something big would shoot up--Scott called them contraband, rogue, etc.--so we'd start to settle back in and get ready for the entire show. After awhile, though, we grew restless and decided to head home. I mean, we've all seen fireworks, so we wouldn't have been heartbroken to miss them. Plus, we all had to get to work this morning, and our beds were calling. "Watch," Melinda says cynically, "once we get in the car to leave, they'll start."

We piled in the car and started back toward home. After driving a couple blocks, Melinda looks out the back window, and sure enough, the show had started! We pulled over and got out, leaned on the trunk and enjoyed from there. At least our adventure wasn't for naught!

So back to the 'life lesson': I guess sometimes you have to be willing to give something up (the fireworks) for the better good (sleep), especially when you don't see a promising end in sight. And sometimes, once you've actually taken action (leaving), you get what you were waiting for in the first place. Profound, I know...