Amendment
I’m still shaking my head over a conversation I heard while walking in my neighborhood. The characters: four or five middle school boys. The setting: a driveway. What they were doing: tossing a football and talking. “What’s the First Amendments?” asked Boy 1. “I (mumble, mumble),” said Boy 2. “Ha! You don’t know!” said Boy 1, in a condescending tone. “Well, neither do you!” protested Boy 2. “Of course I know the First Amendments,” said Boy 1. “That’s why I asked you!” “If you know what it is,” said Boy 2, “why are you asking me?” “To see if you know,” said Boy 1. “And I’m not gonna tell you what it is!” “Ha! You think you’re so smart!” said Boy 2. “But you don’t know the First Amendments either since you won’t say what it is.” “Harrumph!” said Boy 1. “Everybody...
Wait
God tells us to wait in many ways. The question, though, is whether or not we’ll pick up on what He’s trying to say. When you couldn’t get your foot in the stirrup and there was nobody to give you a leg up, it might have been God’s way of saying you weren’t meant to go horseback riding. And maybe it was only after your credit card was rejected you realized you couldn’t afford that sweater after all. The book you wanted at the library was unavailable so you chose a different book, one that made a difference in your parenting. Or your car broke down on your way to a hang-gliding lesson that might have been deadly due to an unexpected storm. Maybe it was simply an uneasy feeling as you were about to share a deep secret that prompted you to shut your mouth. God...
Trains
We rode a train recently, the Tennessee Central Railway, on the Super Fall Foliage Trip to Cookeville. Friends Bernie and Tracy went along. The train car, built in the mid-1950s, didn’t appear to have been updated in a while with upholstery, carpet, and curtains that were old and musty-smelling. But we expected to ride on an antique so, no problem. All part of the experience. We sat in seats facing each other and enjoyed hours of laughter. Leafers, Bernie called us, due to the nature of the tour. The fall foliage was just so-so, probably prettier at higher elevations, but we had a blast anyway, talking, walking through the cars (a challenge when the train is moving at a good clip) and getting acquainted with the volunteer conductors. Both of my grandfathers...
Retired!
Upon giving notice to my boss on 9/10/15 that I was retiring, I decided to summarize each day, up through my last day on-the-job with one word: 9/10/15 Day of notice Relieved 9/11/15, Friday Shocked 9/12/15, Saturday Useless 9/13/15, Sunday Tired 9/14/15, Monday Affirmed 9/15/15, Tuesday Panicked 9/16/15, Wednesday Reaffirmed 9/17/15, Thursday Satisfied, then Scared (Oops!) 9/18/15, Friday Accepted 9/19/15, Saturday Happy 9/20/15, Sunday Tired 9/21/15, Monday Leery 9/22/15, Tuesday Speechless 9/23/15, Wednesday Cheap 9/24/15, Thursday ...
Oldness
If you want to be around oldness, go to an old-folks home. I started at a young age. A group from my church regularly went to Mayview Nursing Home in Raleigh to do music and devotions. My dad was song-leader so I went as pianist. The place smelled old and stale, with hints of urine and mildew. Not an easy place for a kid to visit. Most of the residents were wheeled into the meeting room, blankets across their laps, to sit with blank looks on their faces. So few of them sang along that it seemed our visits were more for us than for them. One man always sat by the piano, where he leaned his head against the old upright, feeling vibrations from the music I played. When we finished our program, he would extend his limp, clammy hand to me, mumbling something I could...
Reverted
“Do you want to go to the Titans game?” I looked behind me to see if the young man was talking to someone else but, no, there was only me, the old lady walking her dog. Three doors down from where I live is an ever-changing house full of young people. I don’t know if they’re college students or young professionals but on this particular morning, they were all piling into cars and trucks adorned with Tennessee Titans flags, headed to an early game and tailgate party. I speak to them often when I’m walking Prince and they’re always kind and respectful. But inviting me to a game? That was unexpected. “No, thanks!” I said. They waved and took off, while I wondered why anyone would want to go to a game when they could watch it on TV from the comfort of their own...
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