Blog 144 – 10.21.15

One of my favorite Frank Sinatra songs starts out:

I’ve got the world on a string,
Sitting on a rain bow,
Got the sting around me finger
What a world, what a life, I’m in love.

I can make the rain go
Anytime I snap my finger

I’d be silly so in so
if I should ever let it go.

Some year’s ago there was a popular sitcom with Tony Danza called Who’s The Boss? I asked that question in the title of today’s blog and would like for you to consider that question with me. Children are famous for learning to say early on, “You’re not the boss of me.” I mentioned in a previous piece that three of my favorite words for God are LORD, LOVE, and Howard, I like being on a first name basis with the Lord God Almighty. Actually the third one was The Universe but Howard is a fine name and I am sure God has used it often, Howard be thy name and all. But there is another name that I and The Man Called Peter, Peter Marshall, like to use for God and that is Boss.

Bob Dillion in his Christian phase recorded a song called You’re Gonna Have To Serve Somebody. Really Bob, the song just did not have the power or punch of The Times They Are A Changing. There is a line in Rick Nelson’s Garden Party song where he expressed his disappointment that his fans only wanted to hear his old songs – nothing new so he concluded, “You can’t please everyone so you’ve got to please yourself.”

I think we are all of us believers guilty of creating God in our own image. Turn about is fair play, they say, and He created us in his or so the story goes. Actually I may have mentioned that I tried to be an atheist for twenty or so years. Though I could not fit my mind and heart back into the tiny and restrictive box labeled Christianity I do admit there is something bigger than me – my higher Self, my best self. That I serve, that I strive to be more like. I no longer strive for perfection or even to be right. I just want to be the best me I can be and let me tell you I am a much happier guy and way more fun to be around. Because the best me accepts everyone else as the are and loves them like I love myself. I am no body else’s boss – just mine. So,yes, you might hear me say, “You’re not the boss of me.” But it is equally true that I am not nor is anyone else the boss of you. You really cannot serve anyone else till you serve yourself. If you have flown you’ve heard it a lot of times, “Put your own oxygen mask on first then help your child with theirs.” Dead people are just not that helpful to anyone especially themselves.

Your friend, fellow travel and frequent flyer,
David White