Grandma says: “That is enough.”
I felt as if I was channeling Grandma Fannie as I was listening to the morning news and heard myself saying, “That is enough.”
Often Grandma Fannie would slightly raise her voice, give one that look and simply say, “That is enough.” Frequently this was in response to my complaining about something or whining instead of just getting busy doing what I needed to be doing. This could be farm chores, homework or some other task. Complaining was not an acceptable task to be doing. Grandma Fannie seemed to think that one mention of some perceived injustice or other event over which one had no control was sufficient. She did not seem to appreciate that my complaining was equivalent to her often repeated “Lord have mercy.” Well, now that I think about it she did keep working while she as was saying, “Lord have mercy.” I consistently stopped all that I was doing since it seemed obvious that one’s full attention should be given to the complaint de jour.
It does seem as if many of us humans have not moved past that juvenile state of reacting instead of acting. Many seem to think it is not only their right but their duty to deposit their misery on all within hearing or reading distance. Far too many do not restrict themselves to running off at the mouth, but pick up their toy gun which is no longer a toy gun and start shooting or use social media to sharply criticize those who action or very being does not please them.
“Lord have mercy.” Just last evening there was a shooting in Las Vegas. Apparently a person, acting on his own, opened fire with an automatic gun and fired off many rounds killing as many as 50 people and injuring as many as 200. This is not the first such shooting and it surely will not be its last.
It was also a busy social media weekend with frequent tweets between our so called leaders who are busy reacting to each other.
I can just hear Grandma Fannie saying, “That is enough.” I also suspect she would take away phones and restrict access to automatic weapons or any weapons which were not intended for hunting game which one would use for food. I am sure she could not imagine any adult or even young person hunting and killing animals for sport. As to tweeting, other instant messaging barbs or other ways of communicating negative thoughts to each other she would certainly say, “That is enough.” She would simultaneously give that look which would halt the action of anyone.
As I mentioned the other day, current research indicates that both creativity and humor require unexpected connections - new ways of thinking. Allowing fear of what others might think or do to determine our reactions does not get the long term results that I think all of us want. Grandma Fannie was very clear that:
If we are very lucky we have a Grandma Fannie who has taken up permanent residence in our heads. She will be sure to let us know, “That is enough.”
“Lord have mercy!”
Written October 2, 2017
I felt as if I was channeling Grandma Fannie as I was listening to the morning news and heard myself saying, “That is enough.”
Often Grandma Fannie would slightly raise her voice, give one that look and simply say, “That is enough.” Frequently this was in response to my complaining about something or whining instead of just getting busy doing what I needed to be doing. This could be farm chores, homework or some other task. Complaining was not an acceptable task to be doing. Grandma Fannie seemed to think that one mention of some perceived injustice or other event over which one had no control was sufficient. She did not seem to appreciate that my complaining was equivalent to her often repeated “Lord have mercy.” Well, now that I think about it she did keep working while she as was saying, “Lord have mercy.” I consistently stopped all that I was doing since it seemed obvious that one’s full attention should be given to the complaint de jour.
It does seem as if many of us humans have not moved past that juvenile state of reacting instead of acting. Many seem to think it is not only their right but their duty to deposit their misery on all within hearing or reading distance. Far too many do not restrict themselves to running off at the mouth, but pick up their toy gun which is no longer a toy gun and start shooting or use social media to sharply criticize those who action or very being does not please them.
“Lord have mercy.” Just last evening there was a shooting in Las Vegas. Apparently a person, acting on his own, opened fire with an automatic gun and fired off many rounds killing as many as 50 people and injuring as many as 200. This is not the first such shooting and it surely will not be its last.
It was also a busy social media weekend with frequent tweets between our so called leaders who are busy reacting to each other.
I can just hear Grandma Fannie saying, “That is enough.” I also suspect she would take away phones and restrict access to automatic weapons or any weapons which were not intended for hunting game which one would use for food. I am sure she could not imagine any adult or even young person hunting and killing animals for sport. As to tweeting, other instant messaging barbs or other ways of communicating negative thoughts to each other she would certainly say, “That is enough.” She would simultaneously give that look which would halt the action of anyone.
As I mentioned the other day, current research indicates that both creativity and humor require unexpected connections - new ways of thinking. Allowing fear of what others might think or do to determine our reactions does not get the long term results that I think all of us want. Grandma Fannie was very clear that:
- Just for today we need to do the next right thing whether that be a chore, homework or some other task.
- We need to keep focused on what will will most likely get the desired long term results and not on what might make us feel good for a second.
If we are very lucky we have a Grandma Fannie who has taken up permanent residence in our heads. She will be sure to let us know, “That is enough.”
“Lord have mercy!”
Written October 2, 2017
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