We counted on reading once a week to once a month. Life with pictures and summarizing comments kept us up with world news. Good Housekeeping provided decorating suggestions we never carried out and recipes we cooked. Daddy made lawn chairs from the directions in Popular Mechanics. This week I remembered Reader’s Digest because of two articles that spoke to truisms of life.
In 1988, Roteert Fulghrum wrote a book and the title article appeared in Reader’s Digest: “Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” Its points matched positive behavior choices after Beryl, our recent storm. First, “Clean up after yourself.” When calm came, people were out gathering leaves and small branches to create a semblance of neatness. Children with mininiature rakes were working alongside purposeful adults. Granted browning piles line most streets, yet step one was accomplished. Next, “Be kind.” Before the day was over I had phone messages from local and far away checking on status and offering assistance. My grown children count and so do those like the neighbor walking around with a small chainsaw offering to help with larger than a hand saw but smaller than a tree chopper limbs. Lastly, take this to heart, “Always take turns.” If there is no power, there are no traffic lights. In some cases major intersections were dark and in some cases yellow cones were out as a warning. In either case people had to note where they were in the time to go cycle. Once the pattern was established you had to pay attention and take your turn. The last one to stop cannot be the first to go. Follow directions and you are ready for the first grade.
I also thought of an article my husband had printed because it spoke so succinctly of the inability to always offer perfect solutions. “Helping People is a Ticklish Business.” Even when the offering is ticklish, the necessity of trying is still essential. For whatever reason, a tree that crashed still blocks a northbound thoroughfare. Phone calls and suggestions have been offered to house owners and city employees and no action has been taken. I just this Monday night got power, eight days down the road. People with small children, and limited funds, and lack of food still aren’t reconnected. Edicts have come from the state governor and complaints made to the local electrical suppliers. Yet, I have seen crews of workers at various hours of the day and night doing, I assume, their best. Options for the rest of us exist from helping at a food kitchen to offering space to a friend still powerless, or even to voting against someone we feel really caused unnecessary delays. Just because my A.C. finally works doesn’t mean I can walk away from the problem.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Philippians 2;3-5
Let Me Tell Ya 