I have a cheap little screwdriver in my desk drawer. Calling it cheap is likely too gracious of a word. It has the form of a miniature screwdriver but not the ability to perform the task of such a tool. This little screwdriver is not an effective tool for anything. It is cheaply made, and if it were to be used for anything that caused real pressure to be applied, it would likely break or bend under the strain. So why do I keep it in my desk drawer? I keep it because of who gave it to me.

Most families have events that remain in the collective memory that when seasoned with time produce laughter. In my family these events are often boiled down to a single phrase that simultaneously calls forward the memory while producing laughter. One such phrase is “there are no wires across the Pacific.”

In the early nineties, I had the opportunity to travel with my church to Hawaii for a two-week mission trip. This was to be the furthest I had traveled from home, thus my parents were naturally interested in what provisions I chose to pack. My mother requested I pack sufficient sunscreen, but for the most part, neither parent challenged my decisions as to what to take on my trip - that is until the issue of money came up.