The Parable of the cold can o' chili

Once upon a time, I was over at my friend's apartment, just chillin'. We'll call this friend Ben D. to protect his identity. Or... how about B. Downard. I like that better. No, how about just Ben. Ben is pretty chill.

Anyway.

Ben had been eating some chips and chili, as he chilled on his chillin' couch in his chillin' pad. After a while, he mentioned how the chili had gone cold.

"How about you warm it up again?" -Diane
"Nah." -Ben
"It's not that hard: just bring it over to the microwave and heat it up real quick." -Diane
"Nah. I'll just eat it cold." -Ben
"Do you like it cold?" -Diane
"No. But it's like this, ya see? Someday, at the end of the world, when all the microwaves fail to work and all we're left with is cans of cold chili, everyone will despair, except for me. I've been having cold chili all along, just to get ready. They'll all be crying for warm chili, and I'll just pop open a can, and spoon it in like I always do. I'll be prepared." -Ben

I've never met anybody who willingly endures unpleasant things just because they'd rather be prepared for the future.

Maybe there's nothing to analyze, and he really just didn't want to get off of the couch.

But I've thought a lot about this in my mission prep. I've still got a month and a half left, and I know I'll have quite a different lifestyle in the MTC and on the mission field then I do right now. So the question is, do I take the "Can of cold chili" approach? or the "Fill the canteen with all the warm chili you can, and just drink it down, enjoying every last warm bean, baby" approach?

I'm kind of doing a little bit of both.

• Missionary schedule (rise at 6:30 am, bed at 10:30 pm): Canteen. I tried this for a while, but let's face it. I'm totally a night person, and this is totally unreasonable until I'm in a place where everyone else is on the same schedule. It'll be probably a bit hard to get used to, but I'm not really doing anything to get ready for it now.
• Wearing missionary style clothes: cold chili (just about every Sunday, or chance to wear Sunday clothes. Not every day yet... don't worry)

Hana went to the MTC today, P.S. !!!

• but Nylons? : Canteen. I'm not putting those guys on, until forced. And after enduring it at the MTC, I hear I won't have to wear them out in the field because Honduras is so very hot! Yeah, man!
• Preach My Gospel/ Spanish Book of Mormon: cold chili. I try to do an hour a day, so that adjustment won't be as hard. I decided that the 2-verse-per-night-just-before-hopping-in-bed thing needed to be upgraded. How will I be able to teach if I haven't studied these things?
• Don't date: enjoy the nunnery life: canteen. I can't help it. I just really like doing things with my friend Paul... a lot. If you knew him, you'd understand. You'd be wanting to get into his schedule too. But I only have a month and a half, so just wait a bit before chasing him, all right? Thanks. :)

• Eat a lot of hispanic/Honduran food, and don't refuse: cold chili. I'm suffering and enduring this as best as I can, let me tell you! I tried tongue taco, freshly squeezed lime juice, friend bananas, and a Honduran dish called "Baleadas": tortilla+beans+eggs+cheese+sour cream= Amazing! The nice Honduran family which fed this to me said it was very typical down there. That's fine with me!

• Only church music and enertainment: canteen. Although, I've increased my Spanish music library considerably over the past couple of months. But... it'll have to be left behind. I imagine they wouldn't let me blast Juanes or Reik in the halls of the MTC.
• Speaking Spanish: cold chili. I've been so happy and blessed to be able to speak a lot lately. Pretty sure getting an Insta-friend from Bolivia just a few months before going on a Spanish speaking mission was no mistake. I love speaking in Spanish! Arianna is a great teacher! Also, I'd like to be on the fast track at the MTC if I could, so I'm trying to get ready for that dreaded phone call I hear I'll be getting one of these days. Oh! And the Spanish Branch on Sundays! What fun! I love it.

• 

• Temple: Canteen. There isn't a temple yet in Honduras, so I'm trying to go as much as I can now, with the blessing of having 13 temples in Utah. Besides, with such a lofty goal, I have lots to do!

I think it's interesting to see what I'm choosing... the things I'm already willing to sacrifice, and the things I'm holding on to until the very last second. When it's the end of the world and everyone is weeping for sleeping in, boys, movies, and days before nylons, hopefully I'll take my can of cold chili with a smile on my face and dig right in. Besides, I'll have some nice Horchata to wash it down with.