I wasn't planning on taking Ruth with me to Fiesta Texas, but when mom came up behind me and said: "Conner? I know you won't want to do this, but..." I knew exactly what she wanted from me. I'm seventeen years old! I'm half a year from adulthood and she wants me to drag a doll around Fiesta Texas? This is when mom put her begging into all or nothing mode.  "Ruth needs an adventure! This would be so much fun!!" We're talking about Ruth, the doll, right? I hardly think she would notice the difference between being squished in my bag at a crowded theme park and sitting on the shelf at home.  "Plus I could tweet about it!" She continued.  Oh no... Moms new twitter obsession is becoming frightening.

This is when I began to mentally argue with myself. The devilish form of myself on my right shoulder was goin' at it with the angelic me on the left. Finally I convinced myself to take Ruth with me. I could not deny mom her simple request.  After all, I've been a desperate tweeter before. So, with my bag full of sun screen and money I grabbed Ruth and we headed for the car. "Ruth" I said to her, discarding my current sanity. "You can be so inconvenient." Cruel, I know, but she didn't seem to take it too hard, she just stared at me with that winsome smile and those dark eyes.

Before I knew it, Ruth and I were in the church van headed for the park. She didn't exactly fit comfortably in my bag but I didn't want to walk around all day with only her head protruding from the top so I searched for a different approach. Aha! Lightbulb! I grabbed my towel, snuggled Ruth in it and stuck it in my bag. The only thing still visible was a tuft of her hair protruding from the middle of the towel. This'll work. I slung the the small yellow backpack over my shoulders and headed for the entrance.

"Oh you brought your doll" says the lady at the desk, "how cute". Her voice was slightly condescending and I noticed that maybe she was trying too hard not to laugh. "C'mon, ma'am." You've never seen a seventeen year old carry a doll around before? ReaIly?  Not ever? I tried to convince myself.  I smiled politely at the lady and walked forward to have my bag checked. I was preparing to defend my bag of veggies as I handed my bag forward, but what came next completely surprised me.

I turned just in time to see the man, who was supposed to be checking my bag, recoil his hands quickly. The look on his face reflected one of sheer horror. Seeing his obvious confusion as to what was sticking out of my bag I tried to reassure him without breaking down with laughter. My hand shot up and I started talking to him like a cop would talk to a hostage-holding criminal.

“It's just a doll. No worries” I told him slowly. His physical stance didn't change, however. “it's just a doll” I told him again, reaching my hand into the bag to reveal the rest of Ruth's head. She just smirked, obviously finding this guy very entertaining. After this awkward encounter he just handed me the bag, not even bothering to search the rest of it. I have a feeling he wasn't prepared for anymore strange surprises.

The rest of the trip was fun and just as entertaining. Ruth got to see the park, and then eventually... The inside of a locker. (We didn't want her to get wet). All in all, it was a good trip.  It started with a lesson in humility and obedience as I was acosted by my mothers will that was drastically different than my own.  Maybe it was good I took this journey with Ruth.  After all, these are lessons she herself taught us (Ruth 1:16-17, Ruth 2:22-23).