Changing Shirts by Dr. Juan Harrison
Changing Shirts
Funny how us humans are such creatures of habit. Most of us have some idiosyncrasy or personal issue that can interfere with our comfort and ability to work. One son didn’t like the tags in the back of a shirt rubbing on him. Me, I’ve never gotten used to wearing wet work shirts for very long. Good luck with that in the Texas heat. I get by as I keep swapping out my work shirts, letting one dry as I put on another one. A soggy wet one seems to weigh me down; a dry one lifts my spirits and reenergizes me.
It reminded me of how a lot of us approach life. For most of us in a small town we learn to find pleasure and enjoyment in simple things. We love our families, our food, our pets, our favorite chairs, and our vehicles. We tend to like the routine and the predictable. Still, as most married men learn, women are girls at heart. They like surprises, change in routines, a break from the ordinary.
One of the challenges in life is trying to read the signs, being attuned to or sensing when Mama needs a break or a change. Maybe it’s as simple as a movie or a trip to an eating joint. Sometimes it’s a need to be in contact, physically or otherwise, with an adult child or grandchild. Sometimes she just wants some me time or quiet time just to chill.
Over the years I’ve worn a uniform for the military, a hard hat for the coal mine, a ball cap as a teacher and coach and later a tie for a quarter century for my school district. My wife has been a day care owner, banker, teacher, and headmistress for her own private preschool. We remained the same person. We just changed hats or shirts.
The older we get the harder it is to change. Sometimes we choose to change; sometimes the decision is made for us. The challenge for us is how we adapt to the change. Unfortunately, for most of us older folks we can get pretty frustrated with the rapid pace of life and what seems like constant change in all areas of our lives.
The Bible predicts rapid change and much accumulation of knowledge in the end times. Whether it’s our cell phone or a new oven everything seems to be more complicated for us old guys. The challenge for us is to not lose ourselves along the way as we fight to survive and not get left behind to be swallowed up by the deluge of a technological tsunami trying to swamp us. Grab a grandkid and your phone and let em help keep you afloat as they help the old folks stay in touch with the rest of the world.
By Dr. Juan Harrison
