Beware: The Truth

You never know what you’ll hear in the news or at home. That’s especially true with kids, so it shouldn’t have surprised me to hear one of ours say, “I’m pretty sure salmonella is a myth.” Tell that to anyone who has gotten sick from it. It’s easy to discount salmonella if neither you nor anyone you know has suffered from it, but that doesn’t make salmonella a myth. Many of the stories we read cause us to pause and think twice, like this one:

                                     https://youtu.be/DGYsnQyoueY

So, what’s your opinion? How do you decide if what you see and hear is true? Frankly, in this case, who cares? But lots of other issues do matter. Long ago, an important ruler asked, “What is truth?” It’s a question that still nags us today. What’s one thing you know to be true?    

Tools, Talent and Time

I have a talent for spotting tools—on the street. Not long ago, I saw a man strolling down the street carrying a chainsaw. The scene resembled something out of a horror movie. This week, I spotted a man crossing the street with a drill in his hand, holding it like a gun. Maybe it’s me, but if you need to transport a tool, put it inside a bag until you've arrived at your destination. Brace yourself when you see people using tools in unconventional places. Here’s an example: 

                                           https://youtu.be/tebBXrIEW7E

The manufacturer didn’t make the saw to spread salmonella. Tools, designed for particular purposes, belong in specific situations. Tools are like talents and gifts, they require proper care.

If you’re a singer, you develop your gift by enrolling in vocal classes to learn how to stay in tune. If you’re a serious singer, you protect your vocal cords from the cold with a scarf, and do exercises to warm them up before performing. Although you’ll find outstanding singers singing in subway tunnels, you don’t usually find them singing while roaming neighborhoods. That would be as peculiar as exposing a tool in the streets.   

There is a special gift tucked inside every one of us. When it’s time to unveil yours, who will it benefit?