‘Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.’ Job 2:8. NIV Have you ever considered what life would be without man’s inhumanity to his sisters and brothers? Recently a Congresswoman has equivocated the wearing of face masks to prevent the spread of Covid19 to […]

Life Among the Potsherds — The Jazz Man

During our time in Miramar Beach, Florida, earlier in the month, we experienced some lovely temperate days and several showers and storms. Some might not like rain and inclement weather on their holiday…but I enjoy it immensely. Storms fascinate me. They remind me of life and the vacillating vicissitudes of our day to day struggle. I had a pastor, many years ago, who enjoyed fitting vacillating vicissitudes into his sermons. If they are not property damaging or life threatening I find storms, strangely peaceful. My stepfather, Earl, was so frightened of storms that he would rise from his bed in the middle of the night and announce to my mother and I that we must escape by car as there was a tornado coming! As I grabbed a shirt in one hand and pants in the other…he reminded me to not forget Cheetah, his loving Chihuahua. Cheetah hated the air that I breathed. Each time that I attempted to pet her…she displayed all of her old teeth and snarled menacingly. She did the same when I fed her. So, when I picked her up to the Great Car Escape…I whispered in her good ear…’If you bite me I will leave you for the tornado.’ She came compliantly.

Earl told mom and I that if a tornado came we should run out the ditch and jump in it and cover our heads. I wondered how we would breath…under the water. When it was not storming I would ride my bicycle, that looked like a motorcycle, into town. We lived on a country road with semi large gravel that did not agree with my knobby wheels. Nevertheless I was no deterred and made this trip every day that we did not go swimming at Ponds Hollow. Mom and I loved Ponds Hollow. She would drive her 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible the roughly 20 mile trek to what was nirvana for me and my friends. The day was spent swimming and floating on the cool water and being on the lookout for Water Moccasin snakes. I witnessed several during my years of being there, and I was not afraid as I was young and invincible. During our return journey we drove through Harrisburg, Illinois and thus right by my favorite eatery…the Moo and Cackle. We bought 5 hamburgers for a dollar…and I consumed 3 of them.

Orpheum Theatre was my favorite summer time hangout. Sadly it was only open on Friday nights and Saturday and Sunday. On the weekend I attended for a 35 cent ticket and could stay all day if I liked. I liked! I saw every movie that came to our little coal mining town. I saw Barbarella, with Jane Fonda in the title role, all day Saturday and went back on Sunday for a return engagement. The owner knew me by name and seemed to like me, I was a good customer, and his wife sold the tickets and there was an ancient gentleman who tore the tickets in two just before you entered the darkened theatre. On one occasion he asked me if I would mind going to the Dairy Queen and buying him a pack of Marlboro cigarettes. I told the old sage that I would be happy to and when I arrived at the DQ I ordered two packs of the cigarettes that had the cowboy as their advertisement…1 for me…and 1 for my buddy.

The biggest mystery at the Orpheum was the Cry Room. I would look at the brilliant neon red sign that proudly proclaimed that the Cry Room was at the top of some narrow and winding stairs and wonder just what went on in the upstairs specialized area. I inquired of my Marlboro Buddy and he responded that the room was where people went to cry… I deducted that it was necessary when a sad movie was screening. On one or more occasions I climbed the haunted house staircase and found the door to the Cry Room…locked. Perhaps it only was unlocked when you are crying?

My classmates are having their birthdays this year…as we do every year. I noticed that we are all turning 64. We are members in good standing of the 57/64 Baby Boomers Club.

He opened his eyes and wondered if where he was now was real and where he had just come from had been a dream. Or was it vice-versa as his mom had been fond of saying when the tables were turned in life’s events. Where he had been was Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale. He not only had not retired but was working the night shift. The new director would not speak to him and a woman who had been a member of his staff…now occupied his office. He was working covertly to clean the University buildings that were sorely in need of cleaning. A colleague asked him when he was going to retire and he answered that he has put it off for 10 years, but that he thought that he would retire soon…and see the world.

Before being at SIUC he had been enjoying his mystery cruise that he found himself embarking on several occasions over the past 20 years. There were lovely stores and restaurants and cigar bars…and other bars…and quality entertainment. He thought what a life and why would he ever want to leave such easy and satisfying fun. There she was with the two by her side. She had a firm grip on each of their little hands and one called me Di Da and the other laughed each time that he heard the interesting title.

Suddenly he was reading his Bible with the hand made leather cover at his mom’s home. He was in the kitchen and the adjacent coal stove was so hot that the pages of the good book curled upwards. He thought about the opportunity that he had been given…and he arose to retrieve another glass of milk.

As he got out of bed and shuffled into the rest room and looked into the mirror…he thought…A 57 Original…

Many of us enjoy procrastination…at least a little. We know that in the future we will have more time and more energy and more inspiration to accomplish those visions of our destiny that we somehow can not fulfill…today. I always told myself that I wanted to write but did not get up the steam to […]

Your Future Is Now — The Jazz Man

Early summer has arrived in Southern Illinois. It is 84 degrees with 41% humidity. It is a hot day and the Pandemic Prisoners have been released. The restaurants and the bars are open for business and what stores that we have left are in customer service mode. I recall last May. We were scheduled to visit Booth Bay Harbor in Maine and we had to cancel our holiday due to Covid19. We re-scheduled for September, 2020 and found that Maine did not want us due to the Pandemic. This year is quite different than the last. Vaccinations are plentiful and many have been fully vaccinated. A new chapter has been turned in the story of our lives. Our pastor, Kerry, said this morning in MJ and Jonathon, and my Zoom church service, that he wanted to gather photos and memorabilia together between now and Christmas and then for us to secure it until 10 years have passed. Then we could open the collection as a church family and see what we had been doing and what we had been concerned about and the direction our lives seemed to be traveling…way back in 2021. Well, first of all, I thought that it would be a nice goal to be alive for the opening of the time capsule 10 years from now.

I remember become a Christian in 1968 and wondering if would stay with it for the reminder of my life…rather short or long. I had found a lifestyle that suited me like a set of new clothes and I had more purpose than I had ever experienced before. I also had about 100 new friends that seemed to care about me and my mom. I have always been a bit of a loner…as was mother. The Christian life brought so many new and exciting possibilities that it captivated my attention. During those early years I wanted to become a minister. To me there was not a higher calling nor more difficult job to do right…than minister. And the Story continued.

People being mistreated and marginalized and shut out from the normal branches of power that others seemingly could access with ease, troubled me and I hoped to be able to alleviate some suffering and to bring a smile to as many faces as possible. Aren’t smiles and laughs…magical? Christ said, ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.’ Jesus did not tell us that he had a Cadillac and if we followed him that we would have one also…

Mom and I were poor. We were especially destitute when she and my dad divorced. I began the first grade carrying my lunch to school in a brown paper bag…and I was the only child in the class that did so. One of my classmates asked if my mother did not have the 20 cents per day for a hot lunch…I replied that she did not. There a number of people in our towns and cities that would be flabbergasted to discover that the financially secure of their hamlet…had an interest in them…

I still enjoy the new clothes of Christianity and have worn them for 52 years. All facets of my life have been better with Christ. I did not say that they had been easy…but they have been better. When members of my family were sick…Christ was there. When I was worried and frustrated in my career…Christ was there. When I have been disappointed in churches…Christ never let me down. I found many years ago that the role of Christian does not need to be explained…it needs to be seen…

It has been a hot day in Little Egypt. I took Aaron over to get his repaired truck with the new bumper and it looked great. Every time that I am with him I think how proud that I am of him. He is an extremely hard worker and such a kind and considerate person. He often reminds me of the best of what I have sought to be…although I have often fallen short of my goals.

Jonathon and I visited Electric Larry’s and Randall looked like a different person without his face mask. Electric Larry’s is following the CDC guidelines that specify that if you are fully vaccinated against Covid19…you no longer have to wear a face mask. It is a new world in facial recognition. I almost always find something that I desire at Electric Larry’s…and with a lot of purusing…I found a transistor radio with a leather case…that reminded me of one that I had in the 1960’s.

Tuesday I resigned my position on the Session, which is what the First Presbyterian Church calls its leadership board, and I did so with reluctance…as it had been the finest most sincere group of Christian leaders that I had ever served with. I have always been a reluctant leader…feeling that I am woefully unqualified to lead anyone…anywhere. Two years and three months ago I accepted a position on the board with the plan of only staying one year…although the typical terms are three years in length. My plan was to be involved, in some small way, with securing a new pastor for our church. To my great delight our Interim Pastor agreed to be our Covenant Pastor…with a five year commitment. Kerry is simply delightful to work with and once his pastorship was affected I felt that my time was completed. I had the wonderful opportunity to work one more time with my former Session colleague and friend, Rob, who has been a mentor and encourager for me since our early days of association.

I received the sweetest and kind notes from my friends, Sarah and Kathy, as well as a lovey card from, Lisa and Ro, which after reading their heartfelt and generous comments…I had tears in my eyes from their Christian love.

The primary reason that the Presbyterian church appealed to both MJ and myself was their unique form of government…their polity. This is a church that is governed by a board of elected elders that work in conjunction with the pastor to affect representative government on behalf of the congregation. It is a beautiful thing…

My heartfelt thank you to my colleagues on the Session and to Pastor Kerry for making me always welcome and for their sincere patience with my minor abilities…and for making me feel like, one of my favorite terms of endearment, a Champ…

Jonathon met the Chancellor today at the Student Center. He was impressed with how friendly the he was and the natural manner in which he spoke to him. Believe it or not…friendly goes a long way with we rank and file folks. When you meet us…do you remember our name? If you are our pastor…do you make it a point to know each member of your congregation well enough to hold a decent conversation with them? Do we feel like a few select people run the organization…while the rest of us are along for the ride.

I spoke with a friendly and timid squirrel today. Now before you think that I am daft…have you ever tried speaking with a friendly and timid squirrel? They are actually quite pleasant conversationalist. We humans are bedrock certain that we are the dominate species on earth due to our big brains and advance intellectual capacities. But…how do we know that it true? Has a squirrel ever told you that fact… I watched some dolphins in Destin, Florida last week while we were eating at the restaurant 790. Our fellow diners stood up and peered and postulated in enraptured excitement and joy at the Dolphins that were swimming so close to shore. I was so taken aback that I forgot to take any photos…and I take a lot of photos!

How is it that leaders feel that some people…rather in our church congregation or in the workplace or the company setting…are so much more enabled to be the advisors and the movers and the shakers and those who have the best ideas for the church or the university or the political party? As the organization diminishes and the church dies…how is it that leadership does not seek other voices and new ideas for survival and growth…

Whatever organization that you are a member of…be certain that only a few people are the decision makers…and the rest of us are subject to the decisions of the insiders or the select few. Often the decision makers have money to back up their voice and their authority. Often they have longevity and perceived career accomplishments to carry in their briefcase of leadership advice. Organizations rally around the tired and true leadership that has taken them from church memberships of hundreds to little over 100. University administrators seek the same cadre of wise men that have taken the Alma Matter from nearly 25 thousand to under 10 thousand…and they wonder what the endemic problem is…

Bob Dylan sang, ‘The Times They Are a-Changin,’ This was true at the song’s release in 1964…and it is true today. I was watching a documentary on CNN with newscaster and commentator, Fareed Zakaria, who noted that the United States is rapidly becoming a secular society. Denominational churches are diminishing in congregants on an annual […]

Where Have All The People Gone? — The Jazz Man

It is another cloudy day as I watch my backyard pond. Currently no rain is falling…but it could any minute. I was in a meeting with our wonderful church music director, this morning, and I and the other four people in the group all agreed that Carlyn is not only a consummate professional…but she has a wonderful spirit…she is a gifted teacher…and inspirational to those whom she leads and mentors.

When I was the assistant superintendent of Building Services I often had to speak on behalf of the superintendent. This was an uncomfortable position for me and I was relieved to no longer have to be someone’s mouthpiece when I became the superintendent…some time later. When someone speaks or plans for me without asking my opinion…I wonder where they received their information. There is a liberty in saying what your true opinion is…even if there is no one in the room that agrees with you.

A derivation of the great author, George Orwell’s Newspeak, is a current political party that simply denies demonstrated reality in the herculean effort to curry favor with their titular leader. It is painful to watch! I always enjoyed speaking with my friend, Bart, who was nearly 90 at the time of a conversation that we were having. Bart told me that he had resigned a leadership position at church rather than be marginalized. I mentioned that although he had encouraged me to do the same…I wondered if I did not…still…have lessons to learn? He mentioned that my comment had merit…but that he had learned those lessons 70 years ago.

We all want to go along and get along. It is intrinsic to our human nature to desire to be a part of the group. We want to be agreeable…we want to be a valued member of the team. However, at critical times in life you must be willing and able to take a stand for what you believe…to say this much and no more… To speak your sincere convictions is a lonely proposition. The Lone Wolf…is alone for a reason… But, as the saying goes, ‘To thine own self be true.’

It is a lovely partly cloudy day in Little Egypt. Many days in Southern Illinois…are overcast…with a light rain falling. The walking was easy on Campus today. The solitude of the Break…suited my mood. We are back from a week in Florida…for old folks. My primary enjoyment came from watching the ever changing horizons of the mysterious ocean and it’s endless waves. We experienced some lovely cuisine and the gulf shrimp is…as Ron says…to die for! MJ and Aaron played endless rounds of cards with Ron and Ira Kaye…and the sound of their laughter warmed my heart. It was a treat to get away after over a year of lock-down caused by the Pandemic. The freedom that being fully vaccinated affords is astounding. While at Miramar Beach we discussed how far back in our lives that we could remember. Some said Junior High while others said 6 or 7 years old….I said that I could recall events that transpired when I was 2 years old. I actually remember things that happened before I was 2…but I did not want to sound like I was bragging.

On our trip to Creal Springs, Illinois this past Saturday, my friend, Jeff, mentioned that he did not allow things that distressed him to take up residency in his head… There is some significant wisdom in this idea. How often have you found yourself allowing unpleasant people and disturbing events to enjoy large estates in your brain? The first thing when you wake up in the morning…they are there….the last thing you see at night is your dysfunctional neighbor walking their dog in your yard…and the dog making a massive poop in your azaleas. Or you awaken in the middle of the night and there is your naughty neighbor sitting on the side of your bed with a toothy smile and asking if you have been thinking about them…

As a child I knew that life was short. I soon found out that everyone had an opinion and a suggestion and their own prescription for how I should live my life. Many advisors are so busy engaging in directing the lives of others that they have little time to consider their own. I mentioned, in a recent blog, that the author, Joan Didion, said that certain faith communities seemed to have congregations that were seeking someone to tell them what they should do. Jeff recounted that it seemed to him that many folks were looking for someone to lead them. I once had a friend who admitted that she did not like to make her own decisions and wanted someone to instruct her as to what she should do.

Letting out large portions of grey matter… real estate… can result in unhappiness and confusion. The property manager of your thoughts and life direction may be running from pillar to post attempting to ascertain if it is the owners whishes that he is supposed to fulfill…or the many renters and those holding long term leases…in you head…