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Sunday, Nov. 08, 2009

Things I can still count on

There are times when the world seems to be spinning out of control. The plug has been pulled on common sense and civility.

Angst is at an all-time high. Another student takes a gun to school.

There should be a moratorium on red tape and “going green.’’ The “healthcare” debate is starting to affect my health.

So I have made a truce with the “good old days.’’ I am no longer going to complain about having to listen to tales about them. I only wish we could reclaim their glory. And figure out how to get folks smiling again.

I’m a mellow kind of fellow, but it’s not easy to remain mellow when I can’t reach a “live” person on the telephone. Or someone who speaks the same language when I call customer service. (Remember that?)

Still, I keep reminding myself it takes a lot of little pixels to make up the big picture. Even the smallest blessings can have a cumulative effect.

I know there are things I can still count on, and my new assignment is learning to appreciate them.

Like when my mama sends me home with a bag of boiled peanuts. Or waking up to one of the most comforting sounds in the universe — a train whistle in the middle of the night.

When I see my neighbor’s ginkgo tree, in its bright yellow autumn apparel, I realize there’s enough sustenance in that kind of beauty to keep me energized.

Then the postman drops some very nice thank-you notes through the mail slot. They put enough bounce in my step to help me through a week of Mondays.

Of course, the back scratches help, too. And those long walks. I have put in some quality time on the porch swing.

It’s my version of a psychiatrist’s couch.

A friend drove by my house and later told me it was reassuring for his own mental health just to watch me out there making peace with the swing.

Some folks will tell you they’re not in a very good place right now. They’re angry. They’re scared.

They’ve got a huge wall in front of them, and they can’t see what’s on the other side. They don’t know whether to run through it, climb over it or go around it.

I heard something the other day that has helped affirm my own belief system. “Don’t tell God how big your problems are. Tell your problems how big your God is.’’

I recently spoke to the local American Legion — men and women who put their hands on their hearts when they say the Pledge of Allegiance and mean it. I thanked them for their service to our country. I count them among my blessings.

Yes, there are so many things that really do matter. Our only requirement is making the effort to recognize them. It helps melt away some of the madness.

So I’m going to Theatre Macon this week, put on my proud daddy badge and watch son Jake perform in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.’’

I will pop a few buttons and laugh until it hurts.

They say if you laugh, you’ll live longer. Guess I had better go ahead and place an order for a rocking chair.

I’m going to eat a bowl of turnip greens, watch a movie, read a good book and scratch my dogs behind their ears.

Yes, the world does seem to have lost its equilibrium.

I’m not in denial about it.

But I’ve got some things I know I can count on.

Thanks for letting me share a few with you.

Now go find some of your own.

Reach Gris at 744-4275 or gris@macon.com.