Rule #2 in Life
Posted by Paul Allyn Fri, 24 Feb 2006 23:17:50 GMT
Fr . Paul’s Rule Number 2 in Life:
You can’t have fun if you gotta’ pee.
I wish rule number two were more profound, but it’s not, it’s just true.
I thought I was kidding. The first time it dawned on me there might be some greater truth here was when I told the headmaster of a private school this rule. Instead of getting the hoped for chuckle, he said, “That’s profound.” I thought he was kidding! He went on to say, “There are all kinds of important corollaries.” “There are?”, says I. “Oh, sure. Just in this school for example. ‘You can’t learn if you gotta’ pee’ or ‘You can’t learn if you’re hungry’”.
There are a couple of good corollaries in the church area. For example, “People can’t hear the Gospel if they are hungry, thirsty, homeless, naked, etc.” I am thinking primarily about the foreign mission field here. But it applies in our own churches – “People can’t pay attention to the sermon if their butts are asleep.”
And it goes deeper than that. Basically, physical discomfort sets us up for making all sorts of minor and major mistakes. In talking with an ex-Army helicopter pilot, he told me that every, every(!), helicopter crash was proceeded by a minimum(!) of six identifiable errors.
That is not to say that all discomfort is bad. I certainly could stand to be hungry more often in order to reduce my “gravitational giftedness.” Athletes know the importance of working hard to achieve their goals. Their work is not pain free. Most students are aware of having to spend some sleepless nights in writing the host of papers required of them. Students and their professors will note that sleeplessness does not necessarily result in quality.
The application of Rule #2 is important in two ways. The first is to recognize in ourselves when our own physical discomfort gets in the way of what we are trying to accomplish. Secondly, being aware of other’s physical discomfort is very helpful in understanding how other people behave.
Other than that, it’s true and funny!
God give you joy,
Fr. Paul
