Reflection
A Light Touch
Does meditation always have to take place in a somber frame of mind?
Does God have a sense of humor?
Can we come to new truths and understandings by way of a joke?
If summer isn't a good time for reflection on the light side, then when ?
As usual, Sr. Melanie Svoboda brings wisdom to the ordinary pleasures - as well as frustrations of life.
Here are some examples; maybe there's a thing or two to reflect upon to prompt a belly laugh or just the faintest smile.The Warm-up:
* A pessimist is someone who looks both ways before crossing a one-way street.
* Question: How many paranoids does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: Why do you want to know?
* Tell me, how did you become so successful? Two words: right decisions.
And how did you make right decisions? One word: experience. And how did you get experience: Two words: wrong decision.
Profundities:
* Admiration is our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves. (Anonymous)
* Why is it that a twenty dollar bill looks so large in the collection basket in church and so small in the grocery store? (Anonymous)
* Someone suggested this response to "Have a nice day." "Thank you but I have other plans." (P. Fussell)
(Well, okay, maybe that does depart from the spirit of holy laughter, just a bit.)
* Television is an invention whereby you can be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your house. (David Frost)
* The nice thing about egoists is that they don't talk about other people. (L. Harper)
Keep me laughing, God
Wrap-up - Names:
In his book What's in a Name...?, states Sr. Melanie, lexicographer Paul Dickson has collected some fascinating lists - real names, gathered from places hither and yon. Examples include Magdalena Babblejack, Oneta Beeny, Urban Bowels Felty Goosehead, Joop Spit, and Tosca Zerk. Taken from medical directories, moreover, we find Dr. Couch (psychiatrist), Dr. Fuzzy (optometrist), Dr. Oops, (surgeon), and two dental partners Drs. Diggs and Hurtz. Sr. Melanie goes on to relate that she once knew a podiatrist named Dr. Tozi and tells about her friend, who, seeing him for the first time, got a little flustered and addressed him as Dr. Footsie!
Though sometimes a challenge to live out, our names are important, they can also be fun, and names considered fashionable change quickly.
God, remind me today that you call me by name - whatever my name may be.
Encore:. One who laughs, lasts. (Mary P. Poole) It's good religion.
References: Svoboda, M., Everyday Epiphanies
Dickson, P. What's in a Name, Reflections of an Irrepressible Name Collector