Blog 2147 – 09.01.2021

“Keep On The Sunny Side Of Life.

As a dear friend and workmate from my past used to say, “It’s a new month Honey.” And for me that means that I am one month closer to concluding my final work assignment and returning to Texas where I hope to write more and travel as much as possible with my lovely and loving wife.

Years ago I remember there was a popular Contemporary Christian song that said: “Step in to the sunshine. Step out of the shade. This is the one time that you’ve got it made. Feel yourself floating right out of your shoes. Step into the sunshine of the great good new.” Most Christians believe the good news in a nutshell is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” I long believed that too but have, I think, seen the bigger picture. The good news is way bigger than one religion’s take on it.

I realize that such a statement might offend many religious folks and that it might put me out of certain circles i.e. “He drew a circle that shut me out, a heretic, a thing to flout. But, love and I with the will to win, we drew a circle that took him in.” Every religion, not just Christianity, is guilty of thinking it is the best, truest, most correct, and that all the others are less, inferior, if not wicked deceptions. Even the biggest religions are boxes too small, with teachings too narrow, and a tendency toward trying to force everyone else to convert or die. Religion is responsible for many past wars and some still waged today. But Love and Light are the complete Good News story.

Most of my working career I have spent cooped up in boxes, called stores, factories, warehouses, offices, and even cubicles. For most of the last nine years as a traveling contract oil, gas, and utilities construction inspector I have monitored, surveilled, and inspected construction crews working outside in all kinds of weather, rain, winds, snow, clouds, and sunshine with temperatures in excess of one hundred degrees all the way down to minus twenty-six below zero not even factoring the wind chill. I have learned to dress for all kinds of weather and to be prepared. Most of those years the summer months in the burning sun have been the hardest to dress for and to bear. My fair skin was most likely evolved at a higher latitude where winter was the longest season and fur was worn year round and all skin was kept covered out of doors.

A friend I work with said his mother was a long time Coca Cola drinker till they had a brief run advertising that suggested “Be less white.” She took great offense at that. I joked with my work mate that Michael Jackson must have thought the other way as he appeared to want to bleach his skin white. None of us, even albinos are really white, we are all people of color, and should be equally proud of our variety of hues. To quote another Christian song I heard, “We’re a rainbow of God’s children.” And a more well known one: “Red, brown, yellow, black, and white, they are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

Working (actually my work is a lot more watching than working – it is a great gig, getting paid to watch others work) – working outside I am usually looking for the shade to get out of the direct sunlight and avoid getting sunburned. Still I do try to step out of the shade and into to sunshine and to always walk on the sunny side of my life.

I have enjoyed my outdoor work far more than I did being confined to all those boxes. Even the biggest box was just too confining. Step out of yours and enjoy the sunshine.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I0_QG565Y8_0LKLe8mpSkXxtIARPq4o1/view?usp=drivesdk

Sunshine On My Shoulders