Character

I have been asked if my potential (guy) flatmate is a nice guy and that made me think about character as a concept and also about his character.  Let us call him mr Z.  I saw mr Z’s ad for a flatmate on Gumtree and since then I phoned him, met him and joined him for his church’s cell group meeting for young adults.  I gathered from this that he has a very relaxed and open personality.  He knows as little about me as I know about him and still saw my need for meeting people and making friends (and a church).  He also encouraged me to come visit him if I ever needed company.  So, yes, I think he is a great (nice) guy.  I could be flatmates with someone who cares for people and recognise their needs.  It kind of makes me think about my previous flatmate!  J  But still, I have to look at other options as well.

So, this cell group was on Wednesday and I enjoyed it so much.  Although I was a new comer, I felt welcome and was invited into their discussions and the church’s other activities (such as outreaches to street people and a course for ladies).  This one girl really made an impression on me with her kindness and the genuine interest she showed in every person she met.  I guess it helps that she is a social worker, but still.  We talked about the challenge of unconditionally loving someone you meet and I just realised I fall way to short in this area.  But it is true that everyone would like the chance to just be themselves and be accepted for it.  What we first see about a person when we meet them is not all there is to see.  A person is a product of his background, his upbringing, his circumstances and age.  A wise guy once told me this truth when I asked him about someone's strange behaviour:  FIRST SEEK TO UNDERSTAND.  This really struck me as a truth and is something that I will always remember.  There is a reason for anyone's behaviour and you should first try to understand that, before (and not even then) you judge the behaviour.

Back to the lighter side of life.  Yesterday I got COMPLETELY lost and was late for a welcoming meeting of the Pretoria Association of Lawyers.  Well, let's be honest - I did not even attend in the end, since I could not find the building I was supposed to be at.  Almost 50 kilometres, and for nothing!  Goodness!  I didn't want to go in the first place, but I have this tendency to force myself to do things I know will be good for me even if I feel that I will not enjoy it.  So, in the end I decided to go to the movies, but there was nothing I wanted to see for like and hour and a half and I didn't want to kill so much time in the mall.  So, the sad little farm girl went back to her house by herself and baked a cake for her colleague's boyfriend's surprise birthday party.  I have social responsibilities over the weekend.  :)

O wait!  I have to tell you something else.  I was ambushed by a car washer in the city yesterday when I went looking for the building I couldn't find.  The guy appeared out of nowhere!  I just suddenly saw a splash of soaped water and then someone started cleaning my front window.  Well, that is what I think he tried to do, but the window was still dirty.  I didn't pay him for his services, because it wasn't asked for and it wasn't done well.  Goodness!  Talk about character...