I used to be nice and polite
I really used to be nice and polite, overly timid, actually. Something happened along the way. I have great concern that I am going too far the other way now.
Here are a couple of things I said when I was staying at Sue's in Sun City, Arizona. I swear these cases are exactly true, almost word for word.
Here are the two incidents:
1. I had bought a bunch of bananas and put them in a large bowl on Sue's kitchen table. The bananas overlaid a few avocados that were ripening there.
Soon after I noticed that there were only one or two bananas. I said to Sue, my hostess -- it is her house after all -- "Did we eat all those up already?"
Sue mildly explained: "I was afraid they would get ripe on us too soon, so I put them in the refrigerator."
I stood up, choking. "YOU PUT THEM IN THE REFRIGERATOR? YOU PUT THEM IN THE REFRIGERATOR? Didn't you ever hear Chicquita the Banana sing her song?"
Then I sang the chorus several times: "Never put the bananahs in the refrigeratah."
Sue hastily took the bananas out of the refrigerator and put them back in the bowl.
2. Carol was going to cook some frozen rockfish. She innocently said, "I'll start defrosting the fish now."
I said, "Carol, didn't you ever read that you don't defrost frozen fish before cooking?"
Carol said weakly, "It will cook faster."
Then I can't believe what happened next. No one was more shocked than I. I, formerly nice polite shrinking violet, grabbed the frozen fish out of Carol's hands and put the package back in the freezer! Oh, no!
I used to be such a nice quiet person.
When I was a little girl, I can remember everyone saying to me, "What, has the cat got your tongue?"
I used to think three times before I said anything. Now I can't seem to bite my tongue, or even consider it.
This isn't what is meant by being authentic, is it!!!!
This outrageousness can't be a side effect of Heavenletters, can it? It can't possibly be, yet I wonder, to be on the safe side, if we need a disclaimer.
Has anyone else discovered a tiger within?
Comments
Gloria, you made me laugh! What a relief to know this side of your personality. I think it is just your attitude as a teacher. I confess of having a "penchant" for sharp humorous remarks, I try to contain myself... sometimes. I worry when God says that we all will speak truth, but then I think, with no ego nobody will take offence. I am sure your hosts have forgiven you.
If without ego, no one would take offense, then Sue and Carol must be without ego!
Bananas in the refrigerator and thawing fish, aren't those two of the ten commandments? If one of God's titles is Lord of Hosts, maybe he restrained your hosts from what might have been seen as responding in kind. Or maybe that should be unkind.
I think Emilia might be on to something. Just like police seem to often have an issue with driving at legal speeds, I have noticed that teachers often seem to have issues with controlling others, perhaps exacerbated by my father, the teacher.
Sounds to me like everyone concerned got something to think about, which is a good thing, isn't it? Unless it happens to me, of course. I've got enough on my mind without something to think about.
Commandments! I never thought of that! Interestingly, my friend Jacqueline here told me that she has read instructions for frozen fish that say it's fine to defrost it!
I don't think is a schoolteacher thing. I didn't strong-arm my kids. I gave them choices.
Maybe I can put the responsibility for being so outspoken on the Arizona sun!
Meow. I've noticed that, with people, they all have different commandments. And many more than ten.
Gloria's latest book... 'The Arizona Sun speaks' :-)
Regarding 'the tiger within', well that used to be me most ALL the time, hence the nickname Pamzilla. I had to work on controlling myself and my temper instead of trying to control others. And yes, I made many commandments--until a friend pointed out that God gave us ten commandments, the Pharisees turned them into 3,000 rules. Isn't it wonderful to have friends like Carol and Sue who understand and forgive our little slips? I bet if you asked them, the experience of having you there and learning Godwriting far, far outweighed these itty-bitty slips.
Querida, I would have done the same. Quick commandeering actions sometimes work much better than, "Did you know that bacteria will..." or "Did you know that God said in Heavenletters that we wouldn't put bananas in..."
By the way there is a Heavenletter about bananas in the fridge somewhere.
I've put bananas in the fridge before and many years ago when I ate fish, I used to defrost them!
There really and truly is a Heavenletter about bananas in the fridge?!!!
Nice to learn about your past!
Gloria, when you ask: "This outrageousness can't be a side effect of Heavenletters, can it?", I think you are on to something. You are just faithfully following the directions from the Big Guy for whom you take dictation. The way I see it, He means for us to speak our mind freely and always. And, sure, we all have times when we feel judgmental or have an impulse to try to be controlling, etc., etc. Our tendency is to try to put a blanket on these impulses and pretend they aren't us. Isn't it better to let it out and when we do, let our good friends be equally candid about their feelings and have it all end with a good laugh and that little piece of ego float off forever like a helium balloon we just let go of?.....admiring your candor.....Chuck
Wonderful, Chuck! I'm sure that this is where we are meant to go. But I've noticed that between candidness and the good laugh can be a stretch of desert. Fear and the need to be right can go deeper than we are able look and tend to arm themselves with all kinds of scientific findings which, whether correct or not, are beside the real point. I too have read the banana Heavenletter some time ago, it does exist. I have read many more Heavenletters that tell us to leave fear behind. Not by acting AS IF we did, of course, but by unwaveringly approaching or true humanity and true divinity – "in increments" as today's Heavenletter has it. I mean, what about the Indian sages wo have all kinds of germs an microorganisms, even very "dangerous" ones, coexisting happily in their intestinal tracts?