Stuff You Need to Know

Life lessons: observations learned either from experience or from observation that can, if implemented, result in an improved state of well-being.

That’s probably not the “correct” definition.  I just made it up.  I know the value of research and precision.  I’m just not concerned about that at the moment.  At least no one can accuse me of plagiarism.  If I were to write a book about the life lessons I’m talking about, I might call it “Stuff You Need to Know to Keep You from Doing Really Dumb Stuff”.

I can see the table of contents now.  Chapter 1, “Don’t Keep Your Arthritis Cream and Your Hemorrhoid Ointment in the Same Drawer.”  Chapter 2, “Don’t Sunbathe Naked If You Don’t Want People to See You Naked.”  Chapter 3, “If You Are Attractive and Famous and You Sunbathe Naked, Don’t Be Mad if Someone Takes a Picture and Shows it Off.”  Chapter 4, “How About Just Not Sunbathing Naked.”

That’s enough for now.  I need to leave something for the book.

I learned another lesson recently when Mrs. Sweetie and I met some friends for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.  The food was great as usual and the conversation was even better.  I can’t think of many ways I would rather spend an hour and a half on a Friday evening.  When the time came to leave, the line at the cashier was a little long and we had spotted another couple of dear friends who were at another table, so we sat down to visit with them to wait 5 minutes for the line to shorten.  That 5 turned into 30 and we were on a roll again.

Suddenly, our server from the previous table appeared.  “You’re still here!” With tears in her eyes, she told us that she thought we had walked our ticket and she was going to have to pay for our meal out of her pocket.  I had been sitting there with the ticket and my debit card in my hand the entire time!  We felt terrible that we had put her through that.  I don’t know her story, but I know that if my $25 ticket brought her to tears, she really needs the money.  I learned a life lesson that evening and I won’t ever put another restaurant server through that again.

This small lesson that reminded me of a greater one:  I am not the center of the universe.  I don’t believe I am, but if I am oblivious to people around me and act like it is all about me, what I believe is irrelevant.  Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Our lives matter so much to God that He wants us to honor the lives around us.

Now that’s some good stuff.