Tag: Prose

Random Thinking

Do you think everything happens for a reason?

What’s strange about this question is that many people don’t believe in any sort of supreme being, but they believe everything happens for a reason, which suggests that someone is in control.

Confused yet?

Then add to that the fact that, if everything happens for a reason, there’s no point teaching our children to be careful when crossing the road, or using knives, or carrying scissors. After all, if everything happens for a reason, then we have no control over it.

Interestingly, many do believe in a supreme being, God, and that his sayings are recorded in the Bible. One of those sayings, recorded at Ecclesiastes 9v11 is, “time and chance happeneth to them all.” In other words, he does not control everything that happens to us. He gave us free will. And accidents happen.

We like to think that everything happens for a reason because, when accidents happen, we don’t want to be held responsible for our actions; we want to blame someone else.

Because the truth is that things often do happen for a reason; for the reason that we made a choice. All our choices have consequences, whether good or bad. And we need to stop trying to find someone else to blame and start taking responsibility for our own choices.

Treat? Or Lunch?

Responding to the desperate claims of needing lunch now, we find a quick serve café. The children aren’t interested in the fact that there are no tables for four people. They have to get to the counter to buy their food. 

The server looks at their sandwich, bag of popcorn, and drink and says, “Wow! You’re having a treat today.” 

Jenny (age 7) says, “It’s not a treat. It’s lunch.” The server laughs at the apparent innocence. 

“Sadly,” I said, “It’s not as funny at it seems. We are fostering them.” (We find that more people understand fostering than kinship caring.) “Before they came to us they were neglected until she was 3 years 9 months. They never knew where their next meal was coming from, or when it would be.”

“Mind blowing, isn’t it,” I add.

The server looks at me with greater respect. And a compassionate smile for the children. 

——————

Names have been changed to protect the innocent. But this is the experience of many foster carers and kinship carers, every day.

Speedy Gonzales

What’s a song lyric that has stuck with you forever?

It has to be from Pat Boone’s version of the Speedy Gonzales theme song. I was telling my grandchildren about it only two days ago. It’s not the song itself. It’s the two comments by Speedy.

Hey Rosita, come quick. I have to go shopping downtown for my mother. She needs some tortillas and chilli peppers.

And the second one, as someone who grew up with what were called Green Shield Stamps, in the UK,

Hey Rosita, come quick. Down at the cantina they’re given green stamps with tequila.

Never Give Up

What’s a promise you made to yourself that you’ve actually kept?

I’ve always had a reputation as someone who doesn’t give up when things get tough. That hasn’t always been the case. But I’ve always said, “Don’t tell me it can’t be done because that will only challenge me to find a way to do it.” And in trying to stick to that, I’ve achieved remarkable results, even if they weren’t earth shattering.

But that habit kept me going when my wife passed away, leaving me to raise two foster children, both under ten years of age. Many people thought I would give up. But sitting down to dinner with them, today, nearly nine years later, I haven’t given up. And I don’t intend to. I’ll stick to the task, hopefully until it’s finished. And if I don’t get there, it won’t be for lack of trying.

Dinner With . . .

If you could have dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?

I think it would have to be John le Carrè’s George Smiley.

Most people are well familiar with James Bond, agent 007, probably because he’s an action figure. But George Smiley is that archetypal spy who isn’t seen, hiding in the shadows, both literally and figuratively, plodding along in his calm, quiet way, and biding his time until the moment is just right to act.

But then, maybe it would be interesting to get George and James together for an evening, just to compare notes.