Have you ever had an internal battle going on; a real dog
fight in your mind or your heart? C’mon,
you all have. Probably many times. Here is an example I had recently—Should I
run or should I not. One dog said I
should as it is good for me and the other dog said I shouldn’t as my body is
tired and my knees hurt. It was quite a
battle alright. Recently I had the
opportunity to bike with a friend who we became friends in our winters in
AZ. He now has some health issues and
was telling me that he can’t do things like he used tooooo. He really struggles with that. He told me that he has made up his mind to
just give up some of the activities he has done in the past (i.e. he feels he
just can’t do them). One of the dogs
won. Maybe you are in disagreement with
someone about something and you decide you are no longer going to dispute the
issue; it’s not worth it. One of the
dogs have won. These decisions or similar
decisions have given you a different stand on the situation. Maybe for some reason you see it differently;
maybe clearer through wisdom or facts or age or you have changed. I didn’t run that morning; I really believe
it was the best decision. The next day I
did. Oh, by the way, the dog that wins always is the dog you feed the most!
He was a monk and said this to his fellow
monks the first time he tasted champagne.
Obviously, this was his opinion, but his statement has lasted for a long
time. I think it’s funny. Others don’t; they might think it’s a
terrible expression. Seeee, folks don’t
all think alike. What one person thinks is
sooooo important that they would put their life on the line for, another person
doesn’t think it’s really that important (e.g. abortion or mistreatment of a
dog). Such is life.
Some of you might be radical and very closed minded. If you
are, you do not need to read this paragraph.
You are wasting your time. Just
skip this paragraph and move on to the next.
Some folks say that it appears that some folks are sooooo black and
white that they are closed minded and are sure they are right. This paragraph
will just put a “I am right and everyone else is wrong” look on your face (i.e.
real ugly and I don‘t like to see you that way). If your family decides to embalm you and put
you in a casket for everyone to look at you, will you still have that “I am right
and everyone else is wrong” look on your face? Hey, you might be right and then
you might not be. Ok, for the rest of
you, read on. But some folks change; yes
they do (e.g. farmers years ago said they would never take government
assistance; they all do now). Here is another example that is funny to me—A
friend told me that they had a pastor who was very black and white about
divorce; now that three of his daughters are divorced; he’s grayer. I have a friend who has been programed very
black and white (i.e. he admits it) but says he’s becoming grayer (i.e. I don’t
believe him yaya). Some folks think radicals are very black and white (i.e. no
bending or discussion; they are right for sure). What do you think? That is what I thought. I was told of a pastor
who said that maybe their denomination might not have the corner on theology
(i.e. his congregation and denomination didn’t like that statement). Another pastor has been known to say when
asked about the interpretation of some verses in the Bible—There are many Bible
scholars who interpret it differently, but my interpretation is…. Saturday question—Can theology become ideology?
A friend told me that there are maybe about six things that
he won’t compromise on. He might bend
and be tolerable about other issues but not on these 6. He didn’t tell me what those 6 issues or
believes are. Sooooo I text him later and asked what they were. He called me and said—erv, you are making me
accountable! We laughed. But he did send me five of his believes that
he will not bend on (i.e. taking a stand).
Here is his avowal—"I believe in the triune God: God the Father;
God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit. The Creator of all things, who
reigns overall. I believe in Jesus the Christ, the Son, who was born of a
virgin, lived and was crucified and died for man’s sins. Who rose from
the grave, and assented into Heaven. Christ fully God and fully man. I
believe the Bible is complete and true, and God’s Word to mankind. I
believe the only way to God is through His Son, Jesus the Christ. I believe in
heaven and hell, and life everlasting in Christ.” My friend is a pretty much a
normal person. haha I think a pretty much average guy. Not much different than you or me. These
believes are pretty much the foundation of Christianity, I think. He didn’t mention any rituals of his
denomination or his interpretation of certain Bible verses. How come I wonder!!!
It appears that when folks really get upset and decide to
take a stand, there is sometimes some form of war. In war, the military takes a stand. Won’t back down. They dig in.
They fight it out. The winner
takes the spoils. Have you ever read
about Custer’s last stand? It didn’t go
well for him; that is why they call it his last stand. Yikes. There are a lot of other wars that go
on when folks dig in and the winner takes the spoils. Usually war is not pretty; a lot of casualties. I don’t like wars. It appears that some of the wars are over
issues of really non-important stuff like egos or money. Let’s face it folks. A lot of that stuff will be forgotten 6 months
from now and for sure 30 years from now, they will have no importance. They are sooooo trivial. But 2 sides sometimes
will dig in and fight it out. And then there are folks who don’t think the
issues are that important and go and get lost; let the black and white folks
fight it out.
The “Opinion Page” isn’t really taking a
stand or is it? A smart friend and I recently had a conversation; I pretty much
listened. He was telling me that he feels
(i.e. his opinion) that there is no way our current direction of our values,
morals etc. will ever change without a disaster a.k.a. calamity or catastrophe. He thinks it’s impossible; folks don’t want
to take a stand. I read this in the
paper, soooooo it must be right, that the temperature is rising pretty
fast. Maybe that might be the event in
which half the folks on earth will die; now that would get our attention. You think?
You say—That can’t and won’t happen; science will figure something out;
they won’t let that happen. Da! MissPerfect says--erv, that comment is like
Orson Welles’ radio story in 1930 that the Martians are invading New
Jersey!
Let's get physical Get down, get hard, get mean Let's get physical And beat that other team! GeorgeTheCrook
says—Talk is cheap but to take a stand is way different. You might be right GeorgeTheCrook; a lot of
people talk big but when it comes tooooo money or politics, or God, they act
way different. Or as SusieQ says—The
same folks act/talk differently during the week than they do in church on
Sunday or when they have to put their money on the line. It’s football season (i.e. also a season for
pumpkins and spider webs); it’s a time when we hear the TV announcer say—They
have put in their heaviest, strongest, meanest defensive linemen to have a goal
line stand at the one-yard line. Then
the cheerleaders arose the crowd in chanting—Hold ‘em hold ‘em hold’ em! Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. LuckieEddie says--BUT it does help if you
have good players doing the “hold ‘em” for the goal line stand.
It appears that some folks think they are above the law
(i.e. they are supreme beings they think). Some
find out the hard way that they are not.
UCLA coach Chip Kelly was succinct when asked his opinion of
California’s new law that would allow college athletes to be paid for the use
of their names and likenesses. “It
doesn’t matter what we think. It’s the law,” Kelly said.
Not for me Charlie Brown!
Have you ever taken a stand (i.e. knowing you’re are right) only to find
out later that your stand was not correct?
And you were soooooo sure you were right! I have and others, I think, have tooooo. Recently I thought I would pass some
information onto someone that I thought could really help them. They didn’t think the information was for
them. Sooooo I wondered why they took
their stand against it. You know what,
they had their reasons. Toooo me it was
a no brainer but not toooo them. They
have their choice. I realize that there
are times that others gave me their advice and I didn’t take it; it’s wasn’t
for me (i.e. it just didn’t fit for me).
Soooooo there you go. I enjoy
researching; like calling folks for information about something. Yes, it takes time, but I can learn sooooooo
much. I call some of you sometimes for
that reason. Many folks are sooooo
helpful. My Daddy, Chester, would say—erv,
the best way to learn is to ask questions. Yabut, it’s a lot better to ask
smart, experienced folks the questions than your neighbor who just thinks he
knows everything. He’s the guy who wears a big cowboy hat but never owned any
cattle. I was told this story that is sorta kinda personal to me. A person came to the memory unit and started
a conversation with a resident. The
resident told him that he has been reading the Wall Street Journal and has
invested a large amount of money in a certain company based on all his
research. A little later he was talking
to a family member of that resident and asked why he is he in the memory
unit. He just told me where to invest my
money. The family member said—he can’t
read and surely hasn’t read the Wall Street Journal. Besides that, he has no
money; he’s on title 19! Oh!
The conclusion of the matter is (i.e. well, maybe it is)—I think
there is a season for everything, and we do change with the seasons. I think for the most part when we mature, we
become more humble; we seem to have a tendency to look at things differently
(i.e. we maybe see that we don’t know everything and don’t need to be a “know
it all” because the reality is we don’t know it all). Maybe, I’m just talking
about myself. I read this—"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord…My ways are higher than your
ways. Maybe that is why I don’t know
everything and seem to learn daily that I know less. JoeKnowItAll says--Well erv, whoop-de-doo!
Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:
erv
MyFriendJean says—Live fully, laugh uncontrollably, love
unconditionally.
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