Grandma says: “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop
Grandma Fannie was clearly aware of the propensity of us humans – children and adults – to allow emotions, including such ones as resentments, anger, and envy, to make our decisions. I never had the courage or even the foresight to ask her how she had arrived at this wisdom. Perhaps it was just by reading historical accounts of how easily us humans look to people, places and things to puff ourselves up. Perhaps it was purely through observation of “other” people. Perhaps, it was all that time she spent in prayer, writing and reading during when she was challenged to come face to face with her own humanness. At any rate, as a young child, it sometimes seemed as if Grandma Fannie did not appreciate the value of play – both physical play and playful activity of the mind when one opens to new possibilities. I thought she saw play as an example of an idle mind.
I am not sure that Grandma Fannie would see the constant tweeting, Facebooking, snap chatting, and instant gramming as the opposite of an idle mind. She might “mistake” many of these postings as prime examples of the print version (words and photographs) of the idle mind. To give her credit, she would certainly have given credit for those who past copies of blogs or other examples of very intentional thoughts or ponderings on social media.
It was clear that, political arguments aside (as opposed to political debates) Grandma Fannie was convinced that a mind guided by one’s core moral values was a miracle to be treasured. After all, great music, paintings, sculptures, poetry and other forms of writing could bring out the best of what us humans are capable of being. She was, I am sure, also equally appreciative of fine china, electricity, indoor plumbing, the automobile and other products of the human mind which make the world more pleasant and comfortable.
I am equally sure that she was convinced that idle minds could lead to mischief, ways to avoid work, the tormenting of one’s peers, the decision to use tobacco products, alcohol, other drugs, or looking for other roads to a softer, easier path through this life journey.
I did not come close to internalizing this Grandma Fannie lesson until in my mid to late twenties I realized that I was allowing life to happen to me. For many years, it seemed as if I was so intent on pleasing others that I shut down “command central” (my mind) and did whatever others told or suggested that I do. This method of allowing life to happen had the benefit of never having to take responsibility for my decisions. After all I was just doing what others thought I should do and which I thought would please them. Despite Grandma Fannie’s example, I had set aside the tools such as writing which might have allowed me to access the honest voice within me – the voice that reminded me that by abdicating the power of taking responsibility for direction of my life my mind had become the devil’s workshop. The fact that I was not doing anything illegal or behaviorally breaking the strict rules of the Southern Baptist Church, did not keep the devil at bay. The devil’s workshop mainly explored the softer, easier path through this life journey.
Even today I have to be courageously honest with myself in assessing whether I am making decisions based on what I think will please others, be impressive to others or what I need to do to grow emotionally, spiritually and intellectually. The answer is not always clear, but if I channel Grandma Fannie the answer is not that cloudy or distant.
I also suspect that as we approach the celebration of Independence Day, it might – just might –behoove us as a nation to move towards a new level of honesty about who we are as opposed to who we like to think of ourselves as being. To what extent have we, as a nation, allowed an idle mind to become the devil’s workshop.
Written July 3, 2017
Grandma Fannie was clearly aware of the propensity of us humans – children and adults – to allow emotions, including such ones as resentments, anger, and envy, to make our decisions. I never had the courage or even the foresight to ask her how she had arrived at this wisdom. Perhaps it was just by reading historical accounts of how easily us humans look to people, places and things to puff ourselves up. Perhaps it was purely through observation of “other” people. Perhaps, it was all that time she spent in prayer, writing and reading during when she was challenged to come face to face with her own humanness. At any rate, as a young child, it sometimes seemed as if Grandma Fannie did not appreciate the value of play – both physical play and playful activity of the mind when one opens to new possibilities. I thought she saw play as an example of an idle mind.
I am not sure that Grandma Fannie would see the constant tweeting, Facebooking, snap chatting, and instant gramming as the opposite of an idle mind. She might “mistake” many of these postings as prime examples of the print version (words and photographs) of the idle mind. To give her credit, she would certainly have given credit for those who past copies of blogs or other examples of very intentional thoughts or ponderings on social media.
It was clear that, political arguments aside (as opposed to political debates) Grandma Fannie was convinced that a mind guided by one’s core moral values was a miracle to be treasured. After all, great music, paintings, sculptures, poetry and other forms of writing could bring out the best of what us humans are capable of being. She was, I am sure, also equally appreciative of fine china, electricity, indoor plumbing, the automobile and other products of the human mind which make the world more pleasant and comfortable.
I am equally sure that she was convinced that idle minds could lead to mischief, ways to avoid work, the tormenting of one’s peers, the decision to use tobacco products, alcohol, other drugs, or looking for other roads to a softer, easier path through this life journey.
I did not come close to internalizing this Grandma Fannie lesson until in my mid to late twenties I realized that I was allowing life to happen to me. For many years, it seemed as if I was so intent on pleasing others that I shut down “command central” (my mind) and did whatever others told or suggested that I do. This method of allowing life to happen had the benefit of never having to take responsibility for my decisions. After all I was just doing what others thought I should do and which I thought would please them. Despite Grandma Fannie’s example, I had set aside the tools such as writing which might have allowed me to access the honest voice within me – the voice that reminded me that by abdicating the power of taking responsibility for direction of my life my mind had become the devil’s workshop. The fact that I was not doing anything illegal or behaviorally breaking the strict rules of the Southern Baptist Church, did not keep the devil at bay. The devil’s workshop mainly explored the softer, easier path through this life journey.
Even today I have to be courageously honest with myself in assessing whether I am making decisions based on what I think will please others, be impressive to others or what I need to do to grow emotionally, spiritually and intellectually. The answer is not always clear, but if I channel Grandma Fannie the answer is not that cloudy or distant.
I also suspect that as we approach the celebration of Independence Day, it might – just might –behoove us as a nation to move towards a new level of honesty about who we are as opposed to who we like to think of ourselves as being. To what extent have we, as a nation, allowed an idle mind to become the devil’s workshop.
Written July 3, 2017
RSS Feed