The quantity of meaningless speech (Hogwash!) is stunning.
At the end of any given business day, we sit down to relax, and perhaps shed the pile of pointless words that accompanied our hours.
The next morning we begin again, straining to understand or to express ourselves clearly, consuming great amounts of time and energy, trying to construct an agreement about what we will do next in yet one more meeting.Stymied is a good description, perhaps; at least it's not profanity. Aaaaand ..... life goes on.
It's worth remembering that the joy of life is inside, not outside. We can choose what affects us and how much. An evening laughing with my wife outweighs a business trip through the desert on a horse with no name. An afternoon with my granddaughter is priceless.
Memory-worthy moments usually include smiles and understanding. Personal victories usually include wise focus on good things and breezing past the foul stuff. Family successes usually include comforting heart connections and understanding.
Just for comparison, moments that deserve to be seen and dropped include argumentative attacks pointed at us, misunderstandings and disappointments, hard work that just passed the time with little progress.
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Walter befriended me when I was a stranger in his country
and taught me the necessary things about crooks and scams.
He came to visit me when I was bedridden with broken
ribs. He's a good friend.
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I was reminded by friends in Africa, joy in life is a choice for now rather than some distant horizon.
Walter, my friend in Mombasa, had polio as a child and has lived his life in a wheelchair. His smile works well, but the rest of his body is generally uncooperative. He's a surprisingly gracious fellow. We spent hours together, telling stories and laughing and talking about politics or faith or life in the street.
"You pray for me, I pray for you, my friend," he says as he concludes our frequent phone calls. What a joy.