Les Animaux Aiment la Musique

Something ain’t Smellin’ Right

 "I heard my mom asking our neighbor for some salt. 

We had salt at home, so I asked her why she was asking.

She told me, "They don't have much money and they sometimes ask us for things. I asked for something small that wouldn't burden them. I want them to feel as if we need them too. That way, it will be much easier for them to ask us for anything they need."

Author Unknown: Quoted From James Clear (Atomic Habits) 3-2-1 

This story has been percolating for a while. It bubbles up every so often because it’s confusing to me. At first blush, I was impressed by this idea. To kindly inform someone that we are available to help seems admirable. It appears that we are moving in the right direction. 

“But something ain’t smellin’ right.”

Chasms and Bridges

 Fewer words today as this past week I bothered you twice.

Short and sweet, then.

Let the construction begin.

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

This week I am very grateful for the gift of a new friendship.

Yes, we have been neighbors for nearly a year and have willingly spent a few minutes in over-the-fence-hey-how-are-you-conversations during the past 12 months. But this time, a spur-of-the-moment decision led us to spend a couple of hours talking.   

NOTE: This was not a result of any Mediterranean Egg Salad distribution.  But since I’ve opened this topic, I think I will change that plan by replacing the egg salad for Smores.  As I was thinking about it, I wondered how many people would appreciate some homemade item dropped off at their door from someone they really don’t know. And since it’s summer, leaving a dish made with mayonnaise outside in the heat also seemed like potential trouble. In my head, I was hearing, "Danger, Will Robinson." Smores will probably be a safer and more acceptable plan. 

Anyway, back to my new friend and the real reason for writing.

A Heaven on Earth Recipe

It’s almost summer.  I equate that with egg salad sandwiches. There were two things my mother loved for lunch during the hotter season in Minnesota (whether ‘summer’ was for a month or just for a few days). Egg Salad held favored first preference followed very closely by the famous BLT. I had a great childhood!

I suspect that lunchtime with the bacon-lettuce-tomato came in second because of the tomato. They HAD to be garden-grown fresh, or the sandwich was completely ruined. The eggs?  Well, anytime works for eggs.

Permanent Records

I’m not so very young anymore, but I still remember the nuns in grade school instilling the fear of God within all uniformed boys and girls; this, in the form of ‘THE permanent record'.

If the young'uns exhibited non-compliance of any type, this record (which followed our every step) would be marked-up with indelible ink (perhaps using a sharpie if the offense was quite severe) for all to see. This ‘crime’ would then become permanent, as in forever. The threat states that,

• Someday, our parents will read it.
• Someday, job interviewers will read it.
• Someday, the government will read it.
• Yes, God will read it – even though I was told that He has His own time-honored workflow for record-keeping.

As a grade schooler, I remember being terrified.  So then, I suppose the intended behavior modification was, in most ways, successful. 

All grown up now.

Love 'em or Hate 'em

Squirrels. Yeah, that’s right.  You thought I was going to say mothers-in-law or something.

Harp vs Harping

I remember, well at least I think I do, a story about a harp.  Two of my relatives were in some topic-unknown discussion.  One was asked something in the order of, “What is it you want from me?” The reply was a little bit weird, and completely outside the realm of what any sane person would do.  

“I want a harp playing on my doorstep.”  Again, the disclaimer states; exact phrase unknown.

Given the fact that these were MY relatives, the saneness condition no longer applies. Low and behold, a harp was playing on the doorstep within days. There were no angels harmed in this story to the best of my knowledge.  

Well, we know what a harp is.  It’s a six-foot-tall stringed musical instrument that weighs about 80 pounds.  To move one of these things is no easy task, but I have been told that a crane is not required.  To this day, I have no idea what the procurement cost was for this ‘special request’, nor do I know what melody was offered. 

I start with this story because harping could mean playing the harp but, in this article, the two have nothing to do with each other.

Harping, for today’s purpose, is described by Dictionary.com as, ‘Dwell on, talk or write persistently and tediously on a particular topic.”  The etymology is derived from playing the same note repeatedly, as in "to harp on the same string".  

Just my two cents; it seems to me that "bass-on" would be more appropriate, but perhaps that just my familiarity with a bass (the choir reference) combined with my ignorance of the instrument called a harp.

The prologue being complete, here's where I am going. You see, I have looked back over several months of posts and found a few similar and recurring themes.  

• Relationships are critical for life with Christ and with each other.
• Self-sacrificial love is critical for life with Christ and with each other.
• Forgiveness is critical for life with Christ and with each other.
• But we live in a divided world, country, and culture.
• But we create our own walls and then dig ourselves in to create silos of commonality with little chance to interact with differences.  
• But we choose to surround ourselves with agreement-only friends thus failing to learn about, to understand, and even to love others.

I not crazy about the reputation for harping on, but I am afraid I have been well, harping on.

Admission requires the ‘what now’ question.  Let me discern publicly.  

I have determined that relationships (that's really what all those points above point to) are very difficult.  Let me repeat, very difficult.

• We all carry baggage in the form of bias.  But we firmly deny the possibility that there could be ‘things’ guiding our emotions, actions, and decisions of which we are unaware.  It makes us feel out of control.  We are taught to be in control of everything - always.
• We all carry baggage in the form of experience.  You know little of my experiences and I know little about yours.  We can’t know.  We can hardly know how our own experiences shape us let alone how others have been shaped. 
• We all carry fear in our hearts.  This is often hidden because in this society, being afraid translates directly into weakness.  We’re constantly told to be strong so our vulnerabilities must remain buried.
• We all carry an aversion to rejection. We want to be accepted and loved for who we are. But  frequently we will stop short of leaving our comfortable tribe to explore the camps of others.  We live in a society where our own comfort is considered a right.  It seems completely illogical that we would purposefully leave this zone for something that might prove to be intimidating. We will not pursue that which might create awkwardness. We will repudiate that which could expose our ignorance of different cultures, political views, or well, you fill in the blank. 

It is certainly possible that this shortlist is only the starting point in a quest to determine why relationship-building is difficult. I could also, from personal experience, provide a litany of attempts made to foster relationships that have crashed and burned.  

I guess that was the reason for today's letter. Between the failures and the ‘harping thing’, I often feel that I should just move on.  Enough already.  It is almost – no, it is absolutely despair.

That won't do.  We are encouraged to recognize that we can't change everything.  We will agree that we can't change everybody.  It is probably true that we can't change anybody. (God can, but that's a different article.)

But we are not allowed to give up.  We are not allowed to quit.

In that light, I have made my decision.  I will continue to "harp on" the idea of reconciled relationships.  The way through despair is action.  However, I do promise that I will concentrate a little more on variety. We good?

I firmly believe that this difficult subject is critical for life in Christ and life with each other.  There are verses all over the Bible that talk about it. Below are a few that I found; you will know of others. 

• 1 Peter 4:8
• 2 Peter 1:5-7
• Matthew 7:12
• 1 Thessalonians 3:12
• Psalms 27:17
• John 15:13
• John 13:34
• Ecclesiastes 7:8-9
• Ephesians 4:23
• James 1:19-20
• Hebrews 10:24-25

Meanwhile, 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”   Matthew 6:19

You see, in the end, Christ died for all.  He created a family that includes all, even those we dislike.  Yes, while painfully clear this relationship-building process is difficult for everyone, let us recognize that moving toward this goal is one way in which we store up treasures in heaven.  Let us recognize that each person on earth is a treasure made by God. Our only job is to acknowledge this. 

An added benefit creates peace and harmony here on earth. And, for those of you questioning, "No, I am not an angel, and I am certainly not running for Miss Universe."

Nobel-worthy Trees

I listened to two men discuss their 33-year-old kinship this morning.  A deep, committed, and personal relationship exists between them, and in every sense of the word, they are friends.

• They write books together.
• They teach together.
• They work together.
• They play together.
• They dive deep into the personal problems of the other.
• They celebrate with each other.
• They lift each other up.

And you should know that this all started with two strangers and a lengthy argument in a school parking lot.

Trending Milestones

Like many people, I have set a goal for weight loss and the number is significant!  I understand that it took years for me to arrive at this place.  Rationally, I understand that the reverse will also be true.

That realization makes me want to quit immediately.

I read the articles. I reviewed fad diets that promise amazing results.  I noticed that we should not expect life-changing weight loss in just a few months.  I listened to people inform me that weighing yourself should never be daily activity but should only be done once a week.  Apparently, the roller-coaster of scale measurements can be discouraging.

Words Matter: Part 1 of TBD

If you read last week's article, you'll remember that I offered no answers to the 'elusive lyrics' that were presented. During the week, I planned to reflect on each lyric starting with "On the dark side of good, there's evil".

I was stuck on that first line all week.  Every so often, I'd open a word document and jot down thoughts as the week unfolded.  I'm beginning to think that those four cryptic lines might evolve into a series of articles.  Then again, perhaps not.

Doing good is well, always good, right? The more I think about it, the more this theory seems to be false. I will start with a simple example.

Christmas Week, Thursday Day 5 - Construction

Already, even before we begin, you're thinking, "This guy is either on another planet or off one of his weird adventures. Christmas Eve and he wants to talk about construction." 

Bear with me.  I'll make the connection and I'll make it short. Well, maybe.

In case you're interested, the Do-It-Yourself concept is alive and well.  People are doing everything imaginable without the aid of professionals.  

Someone Is Missing

Yes, it’s time.  For the past 6 years, I have been using what is called Word-of-the-Year as a spiritual focal point.  And, up until this year, I’ve known what that word would be a month or so ahead of time.  I have looked forward to creating the visuals and changing the passwords that incorporate this word into my daily routines. The list through 2019:

• Deeper (Go Deeper)
• Shema (Listen – be aware - Act)
• Seek
• Enough
• Reliance (Trust)
• Sequence (Ones and Zeros)

I SEE You

There is a way to:

• Have better relationships with your sales contacts.
• Have better relationships with your team.
• Have better relationships with your employees.
• Have better relationships with your family and friends.
• Have better relationships with random strangers.

What Else Will You Lie About?

Well, that's not a very nice question to start the week!  It comes to mind because of that "funk" I was talking about in a recent post.

Every decision made results in some consequence, good or bad.  We choose our paths based on the best information we have for the best possible outcome. Choosing one option automatically dismisses all others and a new path has begun.

A brief search reveals that an average adult makes between 5,000 and 35,000 decisions each day. Whoa, I'm exhausted!

For our purposes today, we'll speak only of decisions affecting personal and business relationships. (That might not narrow the field much. I'll have to think about that.)

Today's post title was taken directly from Seth Godin's blog of the same name.  It will take you about 33 seconds to read and basically asks businesses is it better to tell a small lie or just be honest?  Go ahead.  Click the link.  I'll wait.
.

Visual Hunt

I was faced with a decision that was similar. Should a corporate website indicate that it supports a variety of charities when in fact, it does not?  The explanation given for this 'discrepency' was, "Well, they're near and dear to our heart.  And, nonprofits appreciate any exposure they can get."

It was time to make another decision.  I could accept and rationalize the given explanation and continue onward or I could say, "That's wrong.  I won't do it."  Now then, since every decision has consequences, what will be effect on the relationships involved here?