There are only three things you need to know about electronics. Next year they will be faster, smaller, do more, and cost less. Sorry, four. And this knowledge has been invaluable to me over the years. Take microwaves, for instance.
My GS750 had a flat tire, and I needed a way to get it to the shop. I called Jack Baillio, who I went to church with and talked him into letting me use one of his delivery trucks. He was one of the seven Baillio brothers, all whose first name started with J-Johnny, Jack, Jimmie, Jeffery, etc... who owned Baillio's, the largest electronics store in New Mexico. He finally relented, and told me to go see Jimmie, and when the first truck came in, I could borrow it. I went down, and waiting with Jimmie for a truck, he offered me some hot chocolate. Faster than I could pick up a remote to change channels, he handed me a Styrofoam cup with steaming hot water. I was amazed at how fast this microwave had not only heated the water, but not melted the cup. Some day, I'm going to have one. But right now, it didn't fit my budget or riding style. Besides, my roommate Bob and I had all the appliances we could handle. The toaster oven that didn't, and a pot for boiling hot dogs, a pan for grilling them, and a refrigerator. For keeping the mustard, ketchup, and relish cold, along with the milk for the cereal. We ate a lot Lucky Charms, Trix, and Rice Krispies in those pre-Golden Graham days. And all these items were squeezed in due to the fact the top shelf had been lowered to accommodate two framed, 8x10 glossies of my high school sweetheart. Which mysteriously disappeared when I met Theresa. A mystery, unsolved to this very day.
But after marrying her, and moving to Durango, I figured to help her cooking progress along, she wasn't quite the All Conference Cooking Champ yet, I would buy her a microwave. With the closest Baillio's one state and 250 miles away, I went to Montgomery Wards, and bought a floor model on my store card. Reduced to only $659, I had bought motorcycles for less, and this was almost the amount of our rent for the next five months. It was big, portable only in the fact that two men could place it where you wanted it, and her cooking skills improved quickly. After the micro waved fried chicken incident, which is another story for another time. And I was impressed how this beach level, California girl could learn to cook so fast. Even more impressed because we lived at 6500', and where water boiled at 212 for you flatlanders, it boiled at 177 for us, which took things longer to cook. I was even more impressed when I found out she had read and followed the directions on the boxes for high altitude cooking.
To put this vintage microwave in perspective, when we moved to our cabin, we had nowhere to put it, at least not close enough to a plug. So we sat it on the counter between the kitchen and the dining room. The darkened glass front facing the kitchen, with the trendy, dark walnut appliqué covering the sides, and the bare back facing the dining room. To add some style to the back, I put a Castrol sticker on the back, just like the ones we all had on our vans and tool boxes, and like the one my friend Joe, a tuner for Cal Rayborn, had on his wooden leg. It definitely did more for his leg-trust me. Some things do go out of style. But Theresa's cooking got better, to great, and we all learned that reading directions was good, but following them was better.
I was a part time student going full time at UNM before I got married, and took a course called history of Christianity, in which I was not the only one misled. It was really the history of religion, and taught by two men. The first, an Irish Catholic, so conservative even his skin was gray to match his clothing and salt and pepper hair, who talked so fast we thought he was on speed, and never answered questions. His co-professor was the perfect compliment. A Mormon, who with his long beard looked like a 100 year old Brigham Young, or a comatose Santa. And didn't talk, and never answered questions. For the final exam, I was ready. And the exam was, Describe in detail the three most important events in Christianity. For almost three blue books, my 18 month old Christian brain exploded, telling of the immaculate conception and birth, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. An A paper if there ever was one. But unfortunately that was not what they had taught, they wanted things like the birth of Mormonism, Constantine's divine revelation, and the Martin Luther story. And so I got a D! And the rest of us who were Christians did too, except for Florabelle's Pastor Sam, who did well. He gave them what they wanted, and although we questioned his doctrines-his denomination denied the deity of Jesus, he got an A because he had listened and followed directions.
Just like Nicodemus did with Jesus. when Jesus told him he must be born again, he questioned it. And then this powerful, both rich and religiously man, risked it all when he gave his life to Jesus, and became Born Again. He not only heard the directions, he followed them.
Are you a follower of Jesus? Or do you just go along with a denomination, or a family tradition? It is not enough to read and know what to do, but to do it. There is a difference in reading the instructions, and following them. From microwaves, to final exams, follow the directions. Your final exam will some day be, who do you say Jesus is? Only as a follower will you know for sure.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com