Common Grounds Project | Noel

i honestly couldn't tell you how i met noel. i don't really remember meeting most people but i have loved getting to know him better and this year in particular has been great. we go over to our friends jon & nina's a lot to play games and that for me has been the best times. even though i tend to always hold grudges (sorry guys) i always leave happy and feeling refreshed. i asked noel to be my second interviewee for this project because he actually just got a job in Boston and will be moving soon. i am so sad to see him go but so very excited for this opportunity God has given him. He is going to be so good at this job. we met at the White Hart and enjoyed latte's in the window and talked about his new job while i unpacked. 

Me: are you ready?

Noel: is that the first question? Because the answer is yes.

Me: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Noel: For the longest time I always thought when I was a kid I wanted to be a baseball player or football player or whatever. However when I was last home in December I came across this old book I wrote when I was little and saw that I wanted to be a solder, and fight for America and stuff. Didn’t remember that but its on paper, so I guess that’s what I wanted to be. I’m pretty far from my childhood aspirations . . .

Me: Current favorite song?

Noel: I have a tie; because I have two songs right now on repeat. One of them is organized religion by Beautiful Eulogy. They are a folk rap group of the highest order. (we are looking them up at the moment. . .  noel describes them as earthy. They won Christian rap group of the year. Very good theologically he says.) And the second is angry eyes. . .by abbey is judging me. . .by the Kopecky Family.

Me: Would you say you are a carrot or a candy bar?

Noel: I would say a candy bar for sure. Like a Hershey with almonds because, this is corny, I’m a little nuts. Also I’m not at all healthy and I would be as widely accepted by everyone like chocolate. Sorry for being so corny . . .

Me: No that was really good.

Noel: That was an amazing question. You ask the tough ones for sure.

Me: Who would you say is your hero?

Noel: My mom. She has just been someone I’ve always been really close to and has gone through a lot in her life and just to see her perseverance is so inspiring to me.

Me: Other than her perseverance, what it your favorite quality of her?

Noel: Her relatability. We have a lot in common; we have the same style, taste in music, our love for coffee. Just her personality, I don’t know what I would be without her in my life these past few years.

Me: I don’t want to ask everyone this question, but I need to know, what do you think your spirit animal is?

Noel: I would love for it to be a cheetah because I love cheetahs. But it’s probably an orangutan because of my long arms. Just trying to be honest.

Me: But you’re not a ginger?

Noel: I’m not but my arms are pretty much long enough that I could touch one side of the white hart to the other if I wanted to.

Me: If you could travel to any state in the US what would it be and why?

Noel: California. (Or whoever’s reading this, your favorite state because I love that person . . .) I’ve never been and that whole scene, the relaxed nature of it is appealing to me; you could go to northern California and snowboard, then Southern California and surf. And I could try to be a famous actor or soap star. That’s my current dream.

Me: Would you rather have no arms or no legs?

Noel: No legs. No legs for sure. I like to grab things . . . such as coffee, cell phones. Not inappropriate things. Like food? I like to be able to grab a spoon and fork. I could use a wheel chair, or a segway, like a shortened segway. How about no tongue so I don’t speak stupid things . . .

Me: What do you think is your best talent?

Noel: . . . My best talent is not knowing if I have a talent. Nothing comes to mind. I guess everyone is good at something; I’m just good at knowing what mine is. It was poetry but this last year . . .also being the token minority in all my groups of friends.

Me: Is being witty a talent? I would say being witty is your talent if it is.

Noel: Oh thanks. Obviously I failed at my talent because I didn’t even know what it was; someone figured it out before I did. Is envying cars a talent? I’m pretty good at that.

Me: for the rest of your life you have to dress like a Cowboy or a pirate. Which do you chose?

Noel: Probably a cowboy because they probably wash their clothes more than pirates. Even though pirates are around water more those are some pretty nasty characters.  Also vests are really in now? And it would be cool to wear spurs. Also I would have a gun holster and that would look pretty cool. So yea I guess a cowboy.

Me: What is the nastiest thing you ever ate.

Noel: I generally try to avoid things I think would taste nasty. But. . .really old milk. I thought it was only a couple days old but it left the most repugnant taste in my mouth. That or my freshman year, my roommate, his mom made some rice, and . . . it wasn’t for my taste buds. But I had to eat the whole thing because you gotta be a gracious recipient. That’s probably the nastiest.

Me: Do you have anything else to add?

Noel: Last thing I would like to add is, just don’t give up. These past couple years have been the toughest, just the hardest in my life. But not giving up has gotten me to where I am right now. So when things get hard just know that they will get better. Also I just can’t stress enough the importance of prayer. This new opportunity in my life is due to James 5:16 “. . . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Just keep that open communication with God. Yea and that’s it.

 

 thanks noel for letting me ask you crazy questions and for being so transparent! may the Lord bless and keep you on this new adventure.

   all photos are taken with a nikon d700 & 50mm