It's a Wrap

    Two days till freedom. The words reverberate, filled with importance. But when I think deeper, I find that freedom is not the right word. Let me explain.
   
    I worked as a cashier and porter at Chipotle for 8 months. The pay was minimum and sometimes customers weren't exactly friendly. Some were too friendly. Once, when I reached my hand out for the money, the man shook it instead. I think my expression added 5 years of joviality to his life. I liked working there though. I liked working hard. In conversations with my friends there, I'd ask them if they like working when it's busy or slow. Invariably, the answer is busy. When we had slow days, the time draggggged. I triple check my drinks, knowing already I hadn't sold any. Fun fact: since the virus, Chipotle has made even more money than they used to. Look up their stocks. It's amazing. Anyway, when we were busy, it was a challenge. Like a game. Except you also earned money and got to meet a lot of cool people. I quit tomorrow. I wanted summer vacation and am going to travel. But I won't be travelling all summer. There will still be days where I can forsee myself thinking, how will I get through this slow day?

    I said two days till freedom. Thursday - Chipotle will be done. Friday - Art classes end. My second semester of art was moved to Zoom in March. It was weird but it worked. Art takes a long time to even finish one project. It is slow but you make headway bit by bit and months down the road and soon, a beautiful butterfly emerges. When you're close to your canvas creating, everything is in your face. Art teachers always say to back up from time to time, look at it from a normal distance and understand only the artist or a critic will get micro close to your work. Enjoy the privilege of being able to understand your art process magnified close while at the same time being willing to look at it from the spectator's role. That was a whole chunk of words right there but let's move on.

    Art school will be done in two days, Chipotle in one. I'm finishing two major events and celebrating freedom? I think the word is completion. The fast job of Chipotle and the slow work of art are completed. Completion of something doesn't necessarily mean freedom from it. You can complete a homework assignment but later have it turned back to you with a bad grade. Even though you completed it, your teacher was the one in charge, not you. And in the long run, that is a good thing. I believe though these days have been completed, I don't think I'm entirely free from what I chose. God is my teacher and He can bring up instances from these months to help teach me in the years to come. Through that process, I am freed by His grace. He is the freedom I seek in my completion.