Be longing ... and Martian Child

Weird.

It's an odd word, isn't it?

To be honest, I think we're all just a little bit weird ... in some way or another. Maybe maturity comes when you realize your own quirkiness or try to embrace what makes you uniquely you..

But the funny thing is, I think most of us don't want to think of ourselves as weird. We just want to fit in--to belong.

Tonight I saw the movie Martian Child. I had wanted to see the new Steve Carrell flick instead (I love "The Office"!) ... but apparently, so did everybody else. So I ended up spending the evening with John Cusack and a quirky kid who thinks he's actually from Mars. It was kind of a sappy movie, but it made me think about the oddity of all of us and the basic human desire to love and belong.

(Yes, one of my odd quirks is my analytical mind, so I'll let you in on a little bit of what I thought about as I watched this movie...without giving the plot away, of course!)

In my life (so far), I've had the opportunity to actually get to know people leading all kinds of different lives ... multi-millionaires, people from trailor parks, models, beauty queens, geniuses, jocks, punks ... you name it. And no matter where they come from, what they have or what they look like, they are all wanting to belong.

On the outside, some of these people can look like they've got it all together--but when taken to extremes, their desire to belong can drive them to buy things they can't afford, take up hobbies they don't actually enjoy or spend time with certain people simply because it can help them maneuver their way toward power or belonging to a specific social circle.

And then there are those on the other side of the spectrum who have embraced their oddity so much so that it has become a self-protective mechanism for keeping others away. Their "secret" is that they actually care what people think--they actually do want to belong. Like the Martian Child in the movie, they just might have a hard time trusting people to actually love and accept them.

I can't help but wonder what God thinks as He looks at all of us people trying to belong. I bet He would tell us something like, "Be longing ... for Me, for what I've called you to be, for community with others. That's what I created you for."

Hmm ... so maybe I'll make that my mantra for the week--to be longing, not just trying to belong.

My Lunch with Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker

This is not a joke...

Today I had lunch at Quizno's with Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker.

It's true (really!) ... and I thought that would be a fabulous way to start a sentence in my blog. :)

Here's the scoop: I was waiting in line to purchase a small BBQ chicken sub when I looked out the window and saw a grown man dressed as an unidentifiable superhero (complete with a mask, gun, and a cape). At first, I was a little alarmed. Was a deranged terrorist on the loose? Would I lose my life over a sandwich? Would we make the evening news while I had turquoise paint on my arms and legs (yeah, I was looking really schlumpy after painting all morning)?

After noticing my puzzled expression, my sister said, "Look behind you!" And then I saw them--Darth, Luke and a whole clan of avid Star Wars' fans...was I dreaming? Stuck in a nightmare? No, just a suburban strip mall Quizno's. Could life be any more bizarre?!?

It turns out that a comic book store nearby was having a promotional event. And while we ate our small subs, my sister and I could overhear bits of the Star Wars' Fan Club's conversations...Darth talked like Napoleon Dynamite (even though he was probably 45), Luke was explaining how he found his special attire (this white plastic Power Ranger-looking get-up) and the group actively discussed George Lucas' writing and filmmaking skills.

My sister and I had a REALLY hard time holding back our laughter. These people really took themselves seriously. And it was funny. And I wanted to tell someone about it. So now you know about my weirdest lunch at Quizno's ever...and I hope it made you smile.