the ones who answer

When I find myself overwhelmed with life I normally call a friend.  Everybody is busy and whatnot and I am the first to admit that if I'm talking to a friend on the phone and somebody beeps in, I will NOT say "I gotta' go." Easy conversation is soul soothing to me in a way that texting is not.  Texts are for information sharing in my book, not discussing life.  That's when friends and professional counseling come into play.  On the one hand, friends know you and what your challenges are at the moment.  They remember to ask about this or that.  Therapists learn to know you slowly according to your willingness to spill your guts.  I've learned over  years of it what my true issues are and when it's time to address them.  Which is right damn now.  

I am such a Pollyanna that I keep trying to have civil discourse with narcissists and expect things to turn out differently than our last encounter.  And I get my heart stomped on every time.  These people see nothing but their own side of things and have little to no empathy for someone else's pain.  They crave attention and the power of being right all the time.  And having the last word.  

Yesterday's church was really bittersweet for me.  The guest preacher was a man who used to pastor Newbern Methodist and hired my Uncle Jimbo as music director.  I went there when he was dying of prostate cancer and heard him play my favorite hymns.  He was like my second daddy, only funner!  Both he and my Daddy had their funeral services at FUMC.  When Jimbo died LP was about 5 years old and I led her by the hand to the family pews.

One of the biggest blessings of my life has been keeping company with elders.  They can be ornery at times like my parents were, but I wouldn't trade that time for any amount of worldly riches.  It's beginning to feel more like autumn and the shadows are showing out like they always do.  My 50th class reunion is a few weeks away and I can't wait.  My friend Mark G is one that "always answers" and we talked a long time about his emcee duties for the event.  

Life is short.  Don't sweat the small stuff ^j^