Iron Sharpens Iron by Dr. Juan Harrison

Iron Sharpens Iron by Dr. Juan Harrison
  • PublishedOctober 11, 2023


Iron Sharpens Iron

Proverbs tells us iron sharpens iron.  If you’ve ever stood by the electric grinder as someone is sharpening a tool or simply grinding down a piece of metal, we’ve seen those showers of sparks flying everywhere.  The trick is to not let any of them land on your skin or clothing or you could end up with some extra holes you hadn’t planned on.

One summer I was home from Tech working the night shift at Rockwell Valves where I ran an arc welder putting stems into valves and tacking them into place.  After a few delays in getting my visor down on my helmet before the tungsten arc welder’s bright light almost blinded me, I headed off to the oil fields of Louisiana to try my luck at a less painful occupation.

Anyone living in close proximity to another human is likely to occasionally feel the heat from the sparks that can fly when two hard-surfaced individuals rub up against one another.  Some folks fail to recognize the importance of not invading another’s personal space uninvited.  Some folks are just more touchy than others.  Some puppy dogs are just more touchy than others.  Some puppy dogs just want to pounce on everyone and give em a sloppy lick.

Most of us wouldn’t do well living in isolation with no one to communicate with.  Babies have been known to die in orphanages when rarely experiencing human touch.  Most of us thrive from hugs and kisses from mommas, daddies, grands, great grands and any other source of genuine affection, including your favorite dog or cat.  Like all good things sometimes we can reach our quota and need a little space.

Marriages are living, dying, breathing relationships that are subject to the same potholes and mud puddles that all relationships have to endure.  It just seems like there’s a lot more of em when you’re tied to someone 24 hours a day, be it physically or emotionally.  We all start off on that journey with the same sweet hopes and dreams.  Sometimes it works; sometimes not.  It doesn’t take long after the “I do’s” for friction to begin to occur as two immovable objects start to rub and grind on each other.  During dating you either overlooked some quirks or idiosyncrasy your sweetie had or thought it would go away once you were hitched.  Too late you learned it would only get worse and more annoying.

Welcome to reality.  We’re all human and we’re gonna rub the cat’s fur the wrong way from time to time.  Doesn’t matter who we marry, we’re all gonna have those times when you can just about drive each other crazy over something minor or major.  We may still love em, but we don’t particularly like em right then.

There’s nothing like marriage.  God designed it for our good but half the people that say “I do” sooner or later say “I don’t” a few years later.  We can take our old baggage and dump it on somebody new’s doorstep, but without a personality makeover, the new partner will eventually see the real person and eventually say, “I’m outta here.”

Much like Kenny Rogers’ advice, “Know when to hold em and know when to fold em,” partners in a marriage have to frequently know when to fire and know when to keep the powder dry as they hold their horses.  Partners sharpening one another and making each other better and stronger is a great objective for couples to shoot for.  Like sausage making and politics, it ain’t always pretty but the final product is often worth it. They say no pain, no gain.  Maybe so.  Paul Simon sang, “I am a rock.  A rock feels no pain.” Here’s hoping this next generation can hang in there and realize that some things are worth the pain for the gain. 

By Dr. Juan Harrison

 

 

 



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Arturo's Wood Fired Pizza Gallery About

Hours
Tuesday - Sunday:
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
Closed
Dine in restaurant serving handmade, wood fired pizzas and beer.
 

Phone:(903) 951-1444

arturoswoodfiredpizza.com
 

221 Main St
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS

 

 

 

 

Phinesse Farms Winery About

Hours
Tuesday - Sunday:
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
Closed
Dine in restaurant serving handmade, wood fired pizzas and beer.
 

Phone:(903) 951-1444

arturoswoodfiredpizza.com
 

221 Main St
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS

 

 

 

 

Backstory Brewery About

Hours
Tuesday - Thursday:
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday - Saturday
12:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Sunday:
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Monday:
Closed
a production brewery located in beautiful downtown Sulphur Springs, Tx.
 

Phone: (903) 438-2337

backstorybrewery.com
 

211 Magnolia St
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS

 

 

 

 

San Remos About

Hours
Tuesday - Sunday:
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
Closed
Dine in restaurant serving authentic Italian dishes, wine, beer and cocktails.
 

Phone:(903) 558-1200

sanremoitalian.com
 

226 Connally St
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

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Don Lalo's About

Hours
Tuesday - Sunday:
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
Closed
Dine in restaurant serving classic Tex-Mex dishes and cocktails.
 

Phone: (903) 558-1859

 

912 Gilmer St
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

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Tierra Del Sol About

Hours
Sunday- Saturday:
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Offers a variety of Tex-Mex dishes, chips and salsa and drinks.
 

Phone: (903) 885-5845

 

1402 Mockingbird Ln
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

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Juan Pablos About

Hours
Sunday- Thursday:
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday - Saturday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Offers a variety of slow smoked Texas BBQ meats with a relaxed vibe here in beautiful Sulphur Springs, TX. They have outdoor covered/ shaded seating for your dining pleasure.
 

Phone: (903) 885-0066

 

1216 Mockingbird Ln
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

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Los Mochis About

Hours
Sunday- Thursday:
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday - Saturday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Offers a variety of slow smoked Texas BBQ meats with a relaxed vibe here in beautiful Sulphur Springs, TX. They have outdoor covered/ shaded seating for your dining pleasure.
 

Phone: (903) 919-3760

losmochistexmex.getbento.com
 

101 Gilmer St
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

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Slaughter's BBQ Oasis About

Hours
Wednesday - Saturday:
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Offers a variety of slow smoked Texas BBQ meats with a relaxed vibe here in beautiful Sulphur Springs, TX. They have outdoor covered/ shaded seating for your dining pleasure.
 

Phone:  (903) 243-7187

slaughtersbbqoasis.com
 

1000 Gilmer St Suite Q
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

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Ihop About

Hours
Monday - Friday:
6:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday:
24hrs
Sunday:
12:00 AM -10:00 PM
Long-standing chain serving a wide variety of pancakes & other American breakfast & diner fare.
 

Phone: (903) 885-2406

ihop.com
 

150 E Shannon Rd E
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

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Panda Express About

Hours
Monday - Sunday:
10:30 AM - 9:30 PM
Fast food  restaurant chain that serves American Chinese cuisine. With over 2,200 locations, it is the largest Asian-segment restaurant chain in the United States
 

Phone: (903) 439-3293

pandaexpress.com
 

150 E Shannon Rd E
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

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Broadway Buffet About

Hours
Monday - Thursday:
10:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday - Sunday:
10:30 AM - 9:30 PM
Takeout, Dine In, Delivery. Made to order Sushi, Burgers, Stir-Fry and other Asian Fusion menu items. Burgers, Sushi, Stir-fry and more!
 

Phone: (903) 885-7959

broadwaybuffettx.com
 

1145 S Broadway St

Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

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MAAK About

Hours
Sunday - Monday:
Closed
Tuesday - Saturday:
11 AM - 8:00 PM
Takeout, Dine In, Delivery. Made to order Sushi, Burgers, Stir-Fry and other Asian Fusion menu items. Burgers, Sushi, Stir-fry and more!
 

Phone: (903) 689-2334

themaak.com
 

 208 Main St

Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

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Sakura Sushi & Seafood Grill About

Hours
Wednesday - Monday
11 AM - 9:30 PM
Dine in sushi and seafood grill.
 

Phone: (903) 438-0088

sakurasushitx.com
 

 1408 S Broadway St suit 150

Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

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 Big Smith's BBQ  About

Hours
Monday - Friday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Counter-serve chain offering fried fish & seafood combos, plus chicken & sides.
 

Phone: (903) 439-6067

ljsilvers.com
 

1338 S Broadway St

Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

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 Big Smith's BBQ  About

Hours
Sunday - Wednesday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday - Saturday
10:30 AM - 12:00 AM
Established, no-nonsense BBQ institution preparing smoked meat & fried seafood dinners & sandwiches.
 

Phone: (903) 438-1547

 

4858 TX-154

Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS

 

 

 

Soulman's BBQ About

Hours
Sunday - Wednesday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday - Saturday
10:30 AM - 12:00 AM
Casual counter-serve chain serving a variety of barbecue & sides.
 

Phone: (903) 919-3617

soulmans.com
 

1310 Hillcrest Dr N

Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

 

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Wing Stop About

Hours
Sunday - Wednesday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday - Saturday
10:30 AM - 12:00 AM
Casual counter-serve chain serving a variety of chicken wings & sides.
 

Phone: (903) 335-8431