We Never Left the Playground.......Did We?

As an adult we easily recognize how cruel and inconsiderate children can be of each other. As tender hearted as we may think children are, I would say they are exceptionally tough to make it through childhood. I'll go ahead and say that it is likely we all carry emotional scars from childhood that have become a part of who we are today.

Let's look at the targets. There's the fat kid, the stupid kid, the smelly kid and then there's the day that you might happen to be the targeted child for what ever reason. This certainly carries on through high school and into being an adult but at some point we develop compassion and a dislike for treating others without consideration. At least we should. However, do we ever quit making fun of the less fortunate, the freaks, the afflicted, the sinners? Is sin funny? I certainly don't want to think so and my savior absolutely hates sin. Do I as a Christian participate? The fact is our society thinks sin through the actions of a sinner is hilarious. Now some of you are thinking "what in the world is this imbecile talking about?" Let me shuck it down for you.

One of the best entertainment vehicles for humor is without a doubt the television. Looking at a classic, "The Andy Griffith Show", I ask what was funny about that show. Certainly irony and a cast of dimwitted characters, but I want to focus on one character and the reason he was funny to us. Let's consider Otis. He was funny only because he was living in sin as the town drunk. How many television shows, movies, and plays have used this formula for humor through the years? Why is this so funny to us when it should be so sad?

Now I'm going to go somewhere that may anger some folks. Let me start by saying that I respect and love all but my Savior hates sin and therefore as his child I do as well and although I am a sinner I do my best to repent. Let's get back to the next example. In television today you still have the town drunk but there are other sinners that we love to laugh at in television, movies, and various other medias. In particularly, why is homosexuality so funny. How many TV shows today, don't have the token gay guy or gal. How often is "sugar britches" the comedy relief? Yes we love to laugh at these "fruit loops". I laugh at them and I find them to be hilarious. I find humor at their expense because of the sin they live in or simply the product of the sin they live in.

As a Christian, I love them and pray for their salvation. There is really nothing funny about it. Look at who's funny in entertainment. It's still, the fat kid, the dimwit, the drunk and the "sugar britches". We laugh at them at their expense and they, as grown ups, allow themselves to be exploited. No folks, we never left the playground and we never will. We are sinners as well. Praise Jesus for washing our sins away. One day we will have something better to laugh about.

Change is Change and Peanuts are Boiled.

Labor day approaches and I am reminded of the arrival of my favorite time of year. Fall for me starts in September on labor day weekend although the hot Georgia summer doesn't give to the cooler weather until much later in October. I think back at Labor Day weekends of the past.

I remember sitting in the shade of a tree, hiding from the baking sun on the edge of a peanut field with my father. Opening weekend of dove season at noon and Larry Munson is on the radio talking up the Dawgs as they prepare to kick off another season of bulldog football. I sit and watch the power lines in the distance hoping a bird would be foolish enough to stop there so I could pick it off with my BB gun which later became a 410 shotgun and so on. Shotguns are popping off everywhere and I stayed pretty busy as my father figured he didn't need a bird dog as long as I can fetch birds. Snacking on boiled peanuts with an ice cold Coke was about as good as it got. Storm clouds march across the horizon like smokey giants as a welcomed cool breeze passes by in their wake. At the end of the day I would be slightly sun burned, filthy, and wore out. By the time I feasted on birds, gravy and grits I was ready for bath and bed. Good Day indeed.

Things are quite different this year. Some things have been different for a while. I now live in north Georgia and I wouldn't even know who to ask about getting in on a good dove shoot, which is harder and harder to find. Some things have just recently changed abruptly, offsetting the natural order of things. First, Larry Munson retired last year and as ridiculous as it may sound to some, it will never sound the same to me when I listen to Georgia football on the radio. This will impact the way I feel about labor day weekend. It may change the course of my direction. But it isn't the biggest loss for labor day weekend. My father passed away in December this past year. No matter if I was with him on the dove field as a kid or at home eating boiled peanuts in my own recliner, there was rarely a game day that I didn't speak with my father about what was happening at the game. We would rant about the coaches not having them prepared when we were not doing well and praise Old Glory when we were. Sometimes we would speak four or five times during the game and it was almost as if we were watching it together. I'm not sure how labor day starts this year without that. My father did solidify one thing in my life with his passing. It is the one thing that will help me to carry on. It will strengthen and guide me to provide these same memories for my own children. My father helped to solidify my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

I now move forward in my life as I walk with Christ and I know my only way to God and his glorifying love is through Him. With that, Labor Day will come and so will Georgia football. I will hopefully be by the TV but in the least by a radio listening to the next generation of Georgia Bulldog Radio. Maybe my kids will want to join me. One thing is for sure, I still have the boiled peanuts. I'll praise Jesus and I'll think of Dad and you never know, maybe it will seem like we are watching it together. Go Dawgs!

Shut up and go to work Roddy!!

Football season is just around the corner. It's the time of year where I get fired up for several reasons, good and bad. Good because I'm ready for some football. Bad because of the disappointing things that happen this time of year, such as injuries and hold outs. I'm a huge Georgia bulldog fan and I feel good about where we are this year. I'm also a big Falcons fan and also like where we are there as well, with one exception.

Roddy White is holding out of training camp/practice because he wants a contract RE-negotiation. He wants more money. In particular he wants the Larry Fitzgerald kind of money. Larry is arguably the best receiver in the game. Roddy is NOT.

I will give Roddy credit for stellar year in 08 but prior to that he was a pass dropping disappointment. Further, one good year does not make for a mega star! Does he deserve an increase? Probably so. Does he deserve what he is asking for? Certainly not.

So you just hold out Roddy. There is already an injury to a starting receiver for Atlanta and with your hold out your TEAM is down two starting receivers so you can feed your greed. I certainly hope they let him keep holding out. I wouldn't give a dime more than they have already offered other than season tickets so he can watch the game from the bleachers. The Falcons have spent the last two years weeding out Prima Donna players who are not in the best interest of the TEAM. Looks like there is a little more work to do there. God Bless and let's play some football!