Monday, March 2, 2009

The problem with age

is that you get older and start to run down. Today the truck wouldn't start. Not because of the cold. As soon as the ignition key was turned, there was a pop, and all the lights went out and the truck was a dead thing. Turns out one of the battery terminal ends had corroded, leaving no juice available to all the things dependant on it - such things as lights, starter motor, etc.

Life is a lot like that. When I saw the corroded end, I acted very mature (for my age.) Whereas in years gone by I would have grabbed the closest available hammer and whacked the battery to pieces, and/or the hood, lights, mirrors, doors, windows - all the time vocalizing in no uncertain terms my displeasure - todays it was a mere *sigh* and a slumping shrug followed by a slow retreat into the house and a quiet request for a tea.

Now the question I have to ask myself is, what has corroded in me, and is it such a bad thing that I (generally) don't break things anymore? Is it age? Or "maturity"? Indifference? Resignation? A realization the such a thing was ordained by God - before the foundation of the world - to happen exactly at this moment - just to see how I would react?

Curve balls do get thrown into our lives - especially when we least expect (or need) it. Whether it is things breaking in inopportune moments, or people being terrible jerks (WHERE IS MY TEA THAT I ASKED FOR 35 MINUTES AGO!!!), we all must face the fact that we will react to a situation in either one of two ways. Joy or despair. Fear or hope. Rage or peace. Steadfastness or revenge. Wisdom or thoughtlessness. Make up your own contrasts that you know exist in your own life.

Then choose whom you will serve this day.

11 comments:

  1. Yup. Tea does help in those situations. I think God created tea for a reason.

    "Let us reason together...over a cuppa."

    ...Or something like that.

    ~
    Linda

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  2. Linda, you posted from yogrynch's blog, and confused me.

    YO, Grynch....you are a blessing to me. I love you.

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  3. YOu have done the shoulder shrug thing for as long as I cab remember

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  4. It's not really a shrug... more of a sag. ;)

    And you're right. It's all in how you choose to react.

    I have to say I'm glad you're getting over the hammer stage. :P

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  5. Actually, if there had been a hammer within reach...

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  6. Poor Dad! When I think of Dad and hammers it's the sledgehammer and Jay's car. Poor Jay!! And spaghetti sauce. But mostly it was always the slump. Good blog!! I want to tattoo that on my body. "Whom will you serve?" A constant struggle.

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  7. I think part of it was you COULD go inside and have tea. I however had the greater temptation to grab the nearest rock and pelt the truck.
    By the grace of God(his grace to you :P) I didn't.

    Fortunately for the truck, in problems past I actually had to pound it with a hammer, and the only way to get that done was through fury.

    I will not repeat the things I said during the whacking. ;)

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  8. Daniel and his potty mouth at it again.... tsk tsk.

    Ha, I remember the spaghetti sauce on the ceiling! There were spots up there forever. :)

    Thanks for the reminder, Dad. Who will I serve today? That's something I should ask myself every couple of minutes. So I don't forget. ;)

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  9. OKAY... I have had a blog FOREVER...at least close to forever. Yogrynch gets one, and all of you comment forthwith. What's with that? You have never commented in abundance on MY blog!! (said with hands on hip).

    I am going to bed now, to cry myself to sleep.

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  10. It's only because I rarely say anything -normally I'm the quiet guy who grunts at irregular intervals. You, (Janet) are voiciferous and a blogger. You generally engage in speech. I, on the other hand, do not. It is perhaps the inferior method, this blogging, yet one that forces me to engage as opposed to just grunting.

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