Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDXLIV

As a general rule, I try to stay away from controversial topics on this blog, but I have decided to weigh in on the events in Ferguson, MO and present my views on this explosive occurrence. First of all, I predict that in the not too distant future, as far as most of the country is concerned, this fiasco will be yesterday's news, and we'll all be talking about whichever big story the news media decides to sensationalize next. In the meantime, however, the big news is Ferguson. Without a doubt, I have readers on both sides of the issue, and both are equally convinced their views are right, and they could eloquently and convincingly present their sides of the story. Here's my view: I just don't know for sure, but then, like most of us, I don't know all the facts. I'm only aware of the facts the news media has chosen to share. What I DO know is our system of justice in this country has served us well down through history, with a few tweaks along the way as needed, and we would be well advised to trust its reliability. It is the job of the grand jury to decide if there is enough evidence to take a case to trial, and in most cases, if they decide that evidence is not there, it would be extremely difficult to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt once the defense had the chance to present their case if there WAS a trial. Another aspect of this story that needs to be considered is the fact that there are two families who are hurting right now, and their holiday season will not be happy. The Brown family has lost a son they loved, and although the grand jury decided not to indict, the Wilson family has had their lives forever altered, and will have to spend the rest of their days looking over their shoulders, and sleeping with one eye open. That brings me to another point: People on both sides of this issue have the right to protest and demonstrate, as long as it is done peacefully. It disappoints me, however, when criminals who don't even have a dog in the fight, use this event as an excuse to destroy the property of innocent business owners, and rob them blind before doing so. Just a few short years ago, my little hometown in central Louisiana was the center of a similar controversy that was in the news just like Ferguson is today. Mistakes were made by fallible human beings on both sides of that issue as well, and it's understandable that tensions would be running high in both camps. In both instances, Jena and Ferguson, the trouble was not created by the local people, but by outsiders who came to town solely for that purpose, although the events in my hometown didn't even come close to being as explosive as they are in Ferguson. And while on that topic, I must add that both of those stories have re-enforced my view that most of our news media cannot be trusted to present all the facts of news stories such as these in an unbiased manner. I will go so far as to say that much of the media wants bad things to happen, so they can have a sensational story. As a matter of fact, "The New York Times" went so far as to publish the policeman's home address and a copy of his marriage license, which contains data that could provide information on his extended family. It is my belief that 95% of our nation's population is made up of good people, and I have to trust the theory that the grand jury, which is chosen from among these "good people," made their decision from the facts presented to them, and acted in a way they felt was right. We also have to trust that their decision was not racially motivated. There are those who are disappointed, while others are satisfied, but I've never heard of a trial where that was NOT the case. As for us, our best course of action is to pray for the Browns, for the Wilsons, for Ferguson, and for our great country. Now....let's all, regardless of skin tone, lock arms and join forces to work for a society where we all love each other....even in our disagreements. Preston

Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDLIII

The temperature outside was a frigid, bone-chilling 61 degrees Faranheit. Well, maybe 61 is not really THAT cold, but you would think it was by the way my friend, Phil, was preparing for it. I watched as he put on a heavy jacket and zipped it all the way up. Next he pulled a warm beanie cap down over his ears, followed by some black leather gloves on his hands. All that for 61 degrees? You see, Phil was getting ready to take a trip on a motorcycle, and he understood what we know as the "chill factor." I'm sure most of us are aware that the chill factor is not the actual temperature, rather it's what it feels like. Inanimate objects are not affected by the chill factor. The chill factor won't freeze your radiator nor damage your plants, because water and vegetation don't have the sense of feeling the way people and animals do. As far as we humans are concerned, however, the way it feels is what it is....at least in our minds, and that is true with more than just the temperature. Word got back to me one time that someone had said I reminded him of Reggie from the comic strip, "Archie," because I thought I was hot stuff. Huh? Me? If only he knew the truth! Although his assessment of me was inaccurate, it upset me when I heard what was said, because it made me wonder if that's how I came across. I worried that my effort to exhibit self confidence created a "chill factor" that made it "feel like" I thought more highly of myself than I should. What kind of person am I really? I guess that's a question that only God and me could answer, but in the minds of others, their perception of me is reality. That leads me to ask the question, "How do I make others feel?" Even if I'm a warm hearted guy, if I come across as cold and heartless, that's how I will be viewed. Do I make it seem like I don't really want to make conversation, and appear to be in a hurry to get away? Do I give the impression that your issues are minor compared to the things that personally affect me? The type of man I "appear" to be makes no difference to the bed I sleep in or the car I drive, because they don't have feelings; but to other individuals, it makes all the difference in the world. My actual temperature is 98.6, but if I make you feel like it's 68.9, my chill factor is coming in to play, and I don't want that. My goal is to make you feel warm, kicking the chill factor out of the equation. Preston

Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDLII

My friend spoke to his little girl with a stern, authoritative voice: "Mandi, if you do that one more time, young lady, you're going to be in big trouble. Do you understand me?" "Yes sir." Less than five minutes later, however, she had forgotten that entire exchange, and was back doing exactly what she had been warned not to do. When her dad saw what she was doing, he said, "What did I tell you was gonna happen if you did that again?" It all came back to her then, & she replied, "Oh yeah!!! I forgot!!" You see, she just needed a little reminder, and her dad obliged. That was several years ago, and Mandi has grown into a beautiful young woman with a child of her own. I wish all of you could see what a terrific young lady she has become, then you'd see proof that those reminders work. She was a child, and children need constant reminders, but to be honest, things don't change that much when we grow up. How often does your preacher say something you've never heard before? Unless you're completely new to the church scene, probably not too often, yet we leave feeling refreshed because we've been reminded about some things we actually already knew, but just haven't thought about in a while. Let's face facts: If he tells us something one time, and then never mentions it again, we'll soon forget all about it. Also, when we hear something over and over, we begin to grasp its importance, and it becomes a part of who we are. On August 26, 1972, our wedding day, I told my wife I love her. I've told her the same thing every day since then as well, but I really don't think she gets tired of hearing it. If I had only told her that one time, however, by now she would've concluded I didn't actually mean it when I said it. Maybe we get an indication of how important words are by how often we hear them. How often do we see speed limit signs along the interstate? My monthly car note never changes, yet they send me a reminder every month. How many times does your child tell you he wants candy when you're at the grocery store? In this past election season, how many times did you hear each candidate reminding you to get out and vote on November 4th? Why did the widow receive her request from the unjust judge? According to him, he granted her petition "lest she weary me." Are my words in this article pioneering any new territory? Of course not. Other than the scene I witnessed and described to you about my friend and his dialog with his young daughter, you already knew everything I told you. You've heard it all before....numerous times. I'm just reminding you, and reminders work. Don't be surprised if I mention this again. Preston

Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDLI

Some folks say they don't exist, but I promise I saw one with my own eyes yesterday in West Monroe. Of course the ones who are saying that would argue that I just proved their point. Now try to follow me here, because this gets complicated, since if we really give this whole scenario some thought, neither argument really makes sense, yet both sides have merit. I say the fact that I actually SAW one proves their existence. The other side then says that the fact that I actually SAW one is proof that they DON'T exist. Huh? I guess if I told you who I'm talking about, you'd begin to understand why this is such a complicated issue. Okay, here goes: This argument is about INVISIBLE PEOPLE. Maybe if we compare the difference between the way I define the term and the most commonly used definition, we will understand both arguments. You see, most people would say "invisible people" are those who cannot be seen, but my definition is they are people who simply AREN'T seen. Well, since this is my column, and I'm the one writing it, we'll go with my definition today, especially since it helps support the point I want to make. I've often thought how neat it would be to be invisible. It would be easy to find out what other people are saying about me behind my back, but I would have to always keep in mind that even though I was invisible, my feet would still make indentions in the carpet. However, if we go by my definition, being invisible is not a pleasant experience. My favorite restaurant chain in Arkansas is Dixie Cafe. Not long ago I walked into one of their locations, and they had two teenagers serving as host and hostess, a boy and a girl. They were so enamored with each other and were so deep in conversation, they paid no attention to me when I walked in, even though both of them looked directly at me. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally became frustrated and asked, "Am I invisible?" If I would've said nothing, like most invisible people do, I could have turned and walked out and nobody would've ever known I was there. Thankfully, I have the type personality that makes sure I get noticed, but so many people, for whatever reason, don't have that trait. As I look back over my life, I have to admit there are quite a few people who have come and gone, and I didn't even notice when they left....until it was too late. Occasionally either Angie or I will mention something like, "You know, I haven't seen Greg and Penny Kramer in a while." Then the other of us will say, "You 're right! I haven't either." We then feel bad that we let someone slip away and we didn't even notice they were gone. I have to wonder, if we feel bad about it, how must Greg and Penny feel? If I stop showing up to run in the mornings, stop going to church, discontinue making it to our Community Group meetings, etc., I would hope someone would notice, but not everyone has the type personality that attracts attention to themselves the way I do. If that's the case, it's up to those of us who are more "visible" to make them feel like they are just as much a part of the group as we are. Like I told you earlier, I saw one of those "invisible people" yesterday, and I made a point to stop and make conversation. It's important for me to realize not everyone has my outgoing personality, and people like that can easily "slip through the cracks." Lord, please give me a heart for those people, because after a few frustrating minutes in a restaurant, I discovered that being invisible is not fun. We visible people need to always be on the lookout for those who are invisible. Preston