Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Stress Relief

While Roscoe was going through the stenting procedure yesterday, Alisha and I looked for something close by where we could take our minds off of the stress. As luck would have it, the San Francisco Botanical Garden was nearby and had free admission every second Tuesday (the day of the procedure). Alisha and I walked down there from the hospital and spent a few hours strolling around, admiring the complexity and variety of all of these plants and flowers that God has created. Alisha took quite a few pictures of what we saw and here are some of them:

Artichoke




 


Looks like an egg



HUGE leaves, felt like reptile skin











Our wonderful journey ended on a sour note. As we were wrapping up our trip through the park, we passed a man in his 30's talking loudly on a cell phone. He finished the call using the word "idiot" and then told me "Don't look at me". I thought he was kidding, so I smirked, and that set him off. He aggressively walked toward me and confrontationally asked why I laughed, without letting me respond. He asked "Have you ever seen a weapon?", to which I responded "No". Then he questioned whether I had ever seen a gun before. I tried to keep walking but now he was following us and walking beside me, still speaking aggressively with a full dose of profanity. He continued to ask questions like "Where do you hail from?", to which I responded "Sacramento" and then he clarified that he was asking about ethnic origin. Finally I said I was part Polish, and he responded by saying that he was part German and that my confrontation with him should teach me not to mess (but he didn't say "mess") with Germans. He seemed to have sufficiently asserted his dominance, so he let us walk away. We got out of the park and then called the park security, who contacted the police.

My presumption was that the man was a low-level drug dealer, based upon my extensive research into drug trafficking (ie: I saw "Breaking Bad"). The man was very skinny, the kind of non-healthy skinny that would typically come from meth use (but I think his teeth were fine). He also had the "crazy eyes" where he didn't blink often. The man was also wearing a brown and yellow velour tracksuit. If this man wasn't a drug dealer, I question why a single man in his 30's would be walking through a botanical garden near closing time with no camera and seemingly uninterested in the scenery. I closed the day wondering why God would let such a man live, while Roscoe struggles to continue breathing.

9 comments:

  1. Mental Illness !!! Evil Heart .... just reminds us that where ever God Displays His beauty ...Evil lurks about... like a roaring lion to devour !!!! . Shaun , maybe God is giving this man a chance to change his evil way. In meantime I glad yall made it away from him safely .... And I hope that the Cali.Officer that beat that woman on side of road was called to handle him ... German or not Mean is Mean !!!!

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  2. Thank you for the tour as the always thought of seeing the garden but this was my first view. As for the damaged man and his survival...maybe we will understand one day! Bless and strengthen all of your bodies and faith today!

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  3. Thank you for the tour as the always thought of seeing the garden but this was my first view. As for the damaged man and his survival...maybe we will understand one day! Bless and strengthen all of your bodies and faith today!

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  4. Did you tell him you're part German, too? Haha.

    Either way, that man is one of God's beautiful creations as well and God loves him just as he loves you and I (and Roscoe). That idea is often hard to process, but it's true.

    Thanks for sharing all the pictures! The beauty around us leaves me amazed. What a colorful, creative God!

    Love you three!

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  5. Whether it was by choice (drugs) or circumstance God wants him to be saved too. Hopefully the police will help him and keep others safe while we pray for him. I've thought the same thing about people many times too, but they are God's creation somewhere deep down inside.
    I'm so glad you are okay. Moms worry about their kids no matter how old or how far away they are......especially in big cities (or even in Kentucky!)!!!
    Thanks to you and Alisha for the BEAUTIFUL photos! I bet God & Jesus had fun designing those!
    I am anxious to find out how Roscoe is doing now. I bet he slept really well last night!
    I love you all!

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  6. ps: The brown and yellow velour tracksuit should have tipped you off sooner!!!

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  7. It appears you are standing under a giant lettuce leaf. Perhaps you and Alisha were filming the latest "Honey I Shrunk the Kids"?

    As for the troubled man......In my job I too struggle with the justice of it all but I can only allow myself a brief moment before praising the God of the "least of these".

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  8. Thank you for sharing the beautiful flowers, they're amazing. So sorry you had to deal with such as that man on your "stress break". Hoping and praying Roscoe is doing well.

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  9. Mitch and Netta told me about this terrible encounter last night at church,our prayers go out for you two and Roscoe,Shaun it doesn't take much to set some people off now days.
    UB

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