Another one bites the dust

Pardon my cynicism. I couldn't think of a better title for this roast, ehhh...report. It's the phrase I often use when yet another young, talented, intelligent person and/or family in the fair mother city moves to the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex for greener pastures (figuratively and literally...it's dry and brown out west).

Agent S (aka the librarian) and his fine family are now Abilene's latest casualty to DFW. Today, they move east.

And who could blame them. Jobs in DFW actually pay real money as opposed to magic beans and good intentions. But then again...Agent S is leaving a librarian gig at a private university for another librarian gig at a different private university. Maybe in addition to better pay and a cost of living increase, those overlords at Dallas Baptist University might generously give Agent S some company time...TO BLOG. I mean, look man...I know you don't keep a computer at home. That's fine. I respect that. But this ONE POST a month stuff sucks. I mean hey...MY agent gig has several pockets of spare time throughout the day (OK...LOTS of spare time). So PLEASE give me something to read. I know you've got something to say.

Seriously, I have much to owe Agent S and his wife Leslie (yes, not her real name). First, this here pathetic blog of mine was about 90% inspired by What Holds On - a blog I stumbled across while doing a search on the downtown baptist beach head where I met Leslie during some ministerial contraband distribution. I eventually figured out that this blog was written by Leslie's husband so I chose the psudeonym "B", then later "Agent B" for commenting purposes. I didn't want them knowing I was the same guy who delivered food.

So basically, the agent b files is a mere spin-off series from Agent S's blog. But not as sucessful as "Joanie Loves Chachi".

Agent S and I finally met each other face to face about a year ago. We hung out over lunch (because he doesn't drink coffee...wussy) a few times and eventually our families gathered together as well. And I would have taken his invitation to join him in an overnight parking lot adventure at the new Chick Fil-A in hopes of being one of the first 100 customers to win 52 free meals. But somehow I knew he would be #106 and thus waste an evening of his existence. In the words of my favorite Simpson's character Nelson: HAW-ha.

Now he's leaving me. Because hey...this is all about me.

The Agent Network of the fair mother city is getting smaller and smaller. But I suppose the CEO has assignment changes for his agents from time to time. He's allowed that.

Agent S and his family probably could have moved to a modest yet comfortable neighborhood. But instead, they have chose to work with some ministry group that is somehow sponsoring them to live in a certain Dallas-area apartment complex. They will live in some sort of missional-type of role in the complex while serving their neighbors.

Go figure. That's so unlike him and Leslie.

Agent S's parting advice for the readers of this blog: "follow Jesus and do something daring with your life in his name. I stole that one from Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution."

And his last quote for us here: "well ...[Agent B] has to be either the most ruthlessly trusting person I know or the most stubborn. Oh..you are roasting me. Got to go to another reception in my honor. I am about sick of all of these going away get togethers. If I have to eat another piece of cake.."

On behalf of the CEO's agents throughout the earth, we salute you (and Leslie and the kids)...with German Chocolate cake in hand.