Flashbacks and Current Events

It’s been a while since you’ve seen a warning: Flashbacks and music references are from the mid-1960s. Also, there is a distinct possibility that this could become a road of switchbacks and twisting paths full of ramblings and recollections. Follow if you dare. 

Onward.

The trigger was probably a background track heard during some television show or movie. Although an exact moment cannot be determined, suffice it to say that it was noticed this past week.

Upon the realization that I had heard The Impossible Dream (by Gomer Pyle - Really? Gollie, Shazam!), I followed up with a YouTube search to be certain. Listening to this clip inserted another musical memory of long ago as it began competing for my thoughts: You’ll Never Walk Alone.

These two oldies swiftly sent me back to the days of Catholic Grade School. The songs were standouts from my nun-infused education. It was probably just one or two of those dedicated educators (penguins, they were called by the masses), but it seems there must have been a great deal of emphasis placed on these musical scores.

Cheering for the Underdog

Sometimes I don’t know what to watch on the streaming services. When that happens, I just accept the offered recommendations. I mean, most of the time, it’s just background noise anyway. The suggested movie the other day was called, The Longshots. 

It’s about a small-town girl (Jasmine Plummer) who spends her days reading. She loves books as she’s lonely and shunned by popular cliques. Due to a couple of events, she finds her stride in an unlikely place as she becomes the local high school star quarterback. She embraces her talent and moves toward the unexpected. She becomes the first female quarterback to ever play in the Pop Warner Super Bowl. 

She did not do this all on her own.

Her “Uncle Curtis (Ice Cube)”, having been forced to babysit, discovers her talent. Curtis continually encourages and coaches Jasmine (Keke Palmer). He stands by her - always. 

Your Emails are Rude

So. It happened.

“Enough already! You need to respond”, my mind speaks loudly between my ears. 

I am a good listener, and I am tuned in and listening now!

• The first email asked a question.
• The response offered my answer.
• The email in question refuted my reply in, let’s just say, no uncertain terms.

"Then why ask the question in the first place?" my inner voice screeched. I did not reply to the email in question. If I am going to escalate, I’m going to do it with actual words. And so, it happened.

In the same way (no uncertain terms) I voiced my irritation not only with the current crises but also with the inclusion of all that came before. Yes, I had stacked up a good number of offenses in the ‘Let it go’ category but as it turns out, that location has a sub-category called ‘But do not forget’.

It was a difficult conversation but amicably resolved with promises on both sides to do better. 

Balance

It’s a gift of our design, this thing called balance. It’s one of the gifts I discovered when I was in the habit of being grateful every night before falling asleep.  This was a discipline that should be resurrected, I think. The rule was clear: Before going to sleep, give thanks for three new things experienced during the day.  The first week or two, it was easy. Then, I had to think more about it. Suddenly, I was coming up with things like hot showers, clean sheets, cold milk, the taste of peanut butter and bananas, full-range arm motion, and yes, balance.

Created in His Image

A common thread in the work of Sandals and a Stick is the gathering of opinions from various sources. It is true, that although some secular trails severely divert from the spiritual paths, many times they follow a similar route with a difference that is mainly focus driven.

The titles of these two short articles that graced my inbox this week seem to lack any similarity, yet they were not divergent.