PUTTING THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE

Philip and I went to church on Sunday. Diane stayed home...she wasn't feeling well. It was Valentine's Day - I should have stayed home to take care of my sweetheart.

But it was also potluck Sunday! And nobody puts on an after-church spread like the Baptists!

So the decision was simple. Stay home...tend to the weak and infirm...and starve...OR......

We sat in the fourth row from the front! Philip looked dapper. He'd made his rounds, said hi to everyone he knew, and informed one and all that mom was not in church, but he and dad had come 'because of the food'! (thanks buddy...even Philip would break the time-honoured code that 'what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!') Is nothing sacred? After all, we were in church.

We stood together through a dozen songs which neither of us knew, staring solemnly up at the overhead screen as the unfamiliar choruses repeatedly scrolled by. The hymnals were right there, begging to be opened...filled with familiar, uplifting songs! I would have gladly dusted mine off and sung to the top of my lungs...probably from memory (but hey - who am I?). So we stood, tight lipped, and waited for the message.

Philip asked if he could sit at the back during the sermon. "Go ahead," I said. Figured he wanted to be close to the exit.

The assistant pastor began his delivery at 11:40...finished at 12:25. Forty five minutes! Don't get me wrong. He did a great job. But he might have taken the advice of the cattle farmer who told his minister one Sunday after a rather lengthy sermon, "There's no doubt the herd needs to be fed...but you don't give it ALL to them at one time!"

I kept looking back to where Philip was sitting...expecting an empty seat. Not so. He sat there, patiently, disturbing no one, for the duration. I was impressed...wondered if he'd heard a word of it. Then I remembered. The 'Bountiful Baptist Buffet' was just minutes away. He wasn't going anywhere!

After lunch we headed home. I told Philip how proud I was of him that he'd stayed. Asked him how he enjoyed the message. "Long one," he replied. "A double-header!"

Leave it to the Scorekeeper to put things into perspective!

He did tell us he would not be going back to church. So when's the next potluck?

The other day cousin David came by with a 'client', who, like Philip, has some 'disabilities'. Unfortunately, also like Philip, these disabilities DO NOT include a dislike for wrestling! Just the opposite. They both are obsessed with this inane activity!

Philip has at least 60 wrestling characters proudly displayed in his room. Not to mention the games, posters and bobble-heads. It's a veritable shrine! David brought the young lad by to experience Philip and the Undertaker. For 30 minutes we heard the two of them in there...yelling...screaming...jumping...fighting! And that was just the introductions!

Play Station 3 was in full swing. Wrestlers were dropping like flies, tossed with wild abandon out of the ring, landing crushed on the cold hard cement stadium floor! Their excitement reverberated throughout the house.

At last they both came out - smiling - satisfaction written all over the young fella's face. I asked him if he'd enjoyed himself. Duh! I then asked him who'd won the game. To which came the immediate 'classic' reply, "I did...I won the 'handicap' match!

Hmmmm! Is it me...or is there something profound here? Perspective has its place!

Philip sees life from a very different perspective. Characteristics like negativity, retaliation, greed and jealousy are non-existent in his world. He tends to see the good...the positive...in everything. Mind you, lately he has picked up on one of my pet peeves. Bad television advertising. Having spent my career in the advertising field, I get caught up in the good, and bad (and horrible), ads that inundate the air waves these days. Like Maple Leaf's 'Republic of Bacon' ads, or Whiskas cat food commercials. So bad!
Anyway, Philip has started evaluating commercials now. He sees a bad one...looks over at me...I nod yes...and he bellows, "What a lousy ad!" I chuckle...Diane frowns."You're teaching him a very bad habit," she admonishes. He loves the A&W ads. Geeeh...ya think?

Back to perspectives. Philip's 30...and loves to give out Valentine's cards. To guys! Here's my point. He sees no problem with that. And why would he? They're his friends...his buddies...his pals! He loves them all. And so he should!

Maybe he was listening to the sermon?

How's your eye for perspective?