Wrestling The Old Man

I am ever growing and changing every day in my life. Some days are better than others. I like to live honestly these days so I don’t keep secrets even when I probably should. My inner thoughts can at times be like watching a wrestling match between the old man who refuses to lie down for the count and the new woman who wants to ring that bell for victory.

There are regular match ups daily and yesterday it was the actions of another who caused my most recent mental gymnastic event. You see I like to find quiet time during my breaks while I am at work. There is a mezzanine with some chairs that are generally peaceful throughout the day and this day was no exception. I had pulled out some reading and was enjoying the thoughts on the page. A young lady came to sit on a couch opposite from me and pulled out her cell phone.

On a side note I think anyone who is allowed to purchase one of these phones should have to automatically enroll in a brief “cell phone etiquette” class. For every five persons who know how to use a cell phone quietly there is that one person who wields it like a verbal weapon. They are virtually tone deaf for the volume level at which they speak.

This particular young lady was one of these latter persons. Oblivious to the fact her conversation was virtually a shouting match and her voice was ringing throughout the mezzanine. Within mere moments it became apparent this was not to be a quick call and my quiet time was to be eaten up by the voice of irritation. And then it happened….

“Ding! And in the far corner we have the old man who shouts into Debra’s ear…’just walk over there and take that phone from her hand, then I recommend you slap her about the head with the thing too before handing it back to her’….quickly popping up onto her feet is the new woman who uses a quiet and patient voice to speak back to Debra’s ear with words of wisdom…..’No honey, just let it go. This girl doesn’t know she’s irritating. Just close up your things and let her be.’…ding ding!”

The match was over quickly in the physical sense but then the aftermath continued to bother me so it wasn’t a clean match at all. The old man liked to get some more licks in by filling my head with the pictures of how fun it would’ve been to give in to old impulses. It was time to move on.

Growth and change come at a price. I have to choose when to move on no matter how comfortable I may have been in the place I was at. Recognizing wrong thoughts no matter how amusing is a part of that change. I am grateful for grace that helps me to change daily. The next time I see that phone lady I will remember to pray for her to grow as well.