INSANITY

insanity

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“Two!” I stated confidently as we approached the decadent desk at the front of the restaurant. The girl who I’m sure was in high school replied with a superior attitude, “Do you have reservations?” “No,” my wife and I said in unison as I eyeballed the posh dining area… Yep, it was full… In the summer in Arizona?

It’s one of the upscale seafood restaurants in North Scottsdale we try to go to once or twice a year. I have to admit, although over the top, it has great food… but priced like real estate…

A guy who looked to be in his twenties that was also standing behind the grand furniture chimed in, “The tables should be moving pretty fast if you could wait saaaaay, thirty minutes?” He was actually trying, that mixed with all my years of being too impatient to wait for a table… and too unorganized to plan ahead… I thought it better to show my wife I’m a different guy… Patient… Easy going… Roll with the flow kinda guy… you know, the one you’re not convinced I am… and neither am I…

We looked at one another and shrugged, “Sure – we’ll wait.” The grand reception area conveniently didn’t have any seating… “If you’ll just wait in the lounge, we’ll come and seat you as soon as we can.” I held onto my wallet as we ventured in. We stood looking for a place to sit in the busier than anticipated place and were lucky enough to be standing next to a table where a couple was getting up to leave.

We ordered an appetizer while we waited and watched. As we watched the area around the bar, it was like a show, “They’re regulars!” I informed my wife who’d already figured that out. As we continued to eat and watch I observed, “It’s like the TV show, Cheers – in an upscale setting!”

It wasn’t a young crowd, I noticed most of the people were older than us as we watched the real life drama unfold. As we watched it became obvious that all the players in the real-life drama had one thing in common; loneliness. I get that… but these people who’ve yet to find something to fill the void of loneliness in their lives are still trying to find it in the same type of places that have yet to work for them… Insanity.

As we watched the setting I pondered how most of us, even as Christians, do similar things; try to use the same actions over and over in an attempt to improve our lives and end up with the same failed results, yet still try in a vain attempt to make work what is impossible…

After about forty-five minutes, I paid the bill and got up to leave, “I’m sorry sir, we forgot about you guys!” – “We can seat you now?” the girl said apologetically. I smiled, “Naw – we’re good. Thanks.” I remember a life on that merry-go-round… The thought of it kind of steals an appetite… And makes me appreciate God’s gift of a little wisdom…

And a wonderful wife…