The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Here's the good:

Late night LSU was awesome. I walked in with my "homies" again. We went and played laser tag. It was awesome. Somehow I've never played laser tag before but I made up for it. Out of 7 people, I got 2nd for most hits on other people. I mean I went psycho in there with my little laser gun and yelling and the whole nine yards. :-D The course was fabulous. There were a zillion little trapdoor things and hiding places to where it felt like urban warfare. My favorite tactic was to hide in this one little trapdoor space and wait for unsuspecting people to come by and then blast the daylights out of the targets on the backside. Laser tag is just grand, that's all I have to say.

Then I went to watch two teams of students participate in a Family Double Dare mock game show...quite amusing. Remember that show on Nickelodeon back in "the day?" That and Nickelodeon Guts, What Would You Do...all that stuff. Anyway, this was Double Dare...host was Marc Summers...remember? Anyway...

Then I wandered around looking for more to do...and found something that became a real highlight of the evening. JENGA.

I'd never played Jenga before...but I got hooked. I lost the first game quick up against this pro dude. Then I played him again and this other guy...we were at that tower for an hour. It got slower and slower...to wear the tower was like barely there. My hands got shakier and shakier...to where I had to use one hand to pull blocks and the other hand I had to place on my pulling hand to keep it steady. In the end, I lost that one too. But it was cool that a crowd had gathered. I'm not sure if it was cool or uncool that everyone went "awww..." when I knocked it down.

Then I did something somewhat cool that turned into something cool. There's your ugly part of "the good the bad and the ugly."

And here's where things start to get sour.

I take this free handwritten personality test...my friends did it and it sounded cool...which it was.

But then the professor asks for help carrying everything to his room. Now this is at 1 am and there's one hour left in the party...and I want to get back to the party because they're about to serve pizza...and frankly I'm hungry for that and some more laser tag. The thing is...I felt this inner conviction...this nagging..."Josh you better help this guy out and carry the junk back to his room." So he took his merry time (which seemed an eternity) and what made it hard was he was so friendly...so I reciprocated...

Here's the problem. Later when I get back to the ground floor entrance with my ID...there's this huge police officer guy that says, "hey after 1 am the party closed, you can't get back in." The news hit me like a ton of bricks.

I was like..."oh ... no".

At this point I did something that really surprised myself. I could scarcely believe I was arguing with a police officer loudly...protesting my case like a lawyer in court. Of course, he wasn't going to budge...that's a law enforcement official's job. So I was like, "look, sir, I'm not going to give you any trouble, because I know it's your job. But this is really messed up."

So in a vain effort but with a thread of hope left at rejoining my friends (and my cousin Ryan mentioned in the other post...who I'd seen earlier)...I went to the second floor entrance where there's like 10 police officers. I try the same number but this time explain it like a lawyer in the courtroom:

"Look, I understand it's closed at 1 am. But, maybe you were aware, there was personality testing on the second floor. I just went to help a professor out...i brought his materials back to Coates Hall. There's a guy on the second floor in a red shirt...if I can get his attention..."

Police: "I'm sorry, it's still closed. Doesn't matter."

Me: "I'm not going to kick against this or anything cause I know...it's just this is messed up."

I can't tell you how angry I was. It wasn't just the pizza. It wasn't just the extra hour of fun...or the friends. It was this feeling of aliention. It just wasn't right. I don't think I've ever had to bite my lip that hard ever. Walking back to the dorm room in a drizzle...I thought a quick prayer, "God help me not say anything profane." I guess I could've done better...the worst thing I did is raved to some guys outside that "this SUCKS that I tried to do a good deed and this happened."

I've cooled off some now. But this does suck, sorry.

God allowed it to happen I'm sure though. What is more important to me...helping out this professor...being obedient to God...or having fun and doing what I want to do?

I've never been so ticked off at a "good guy"...a police officer...ever. It's been about 15 minutes now...I'm doing alright now, I guess.

How delightful. I get to contradict policemen and help out lonely, not-with-the-party professors at University after only 2 days.

But it's ok, you know I'll live to fight another day...