Have you ever been in a situation where you did not want to take a day off or go on a vacation? The concern about what awaited you when you got back to the job was so onerous that you just did not want to come back to surprises. My wife, Patricia, was a classroom teacher for thirty-one years. Unless she was unable to get out of bed, she went to the school. The thought of coming back to the class with a list of problems that had to be dealt with, such as misbehavior or misunderstood lessons, was not worth the trouble. As a Principal, I worried about being away from the school for as little as an hour for a meeting. When I walked back into the school, I knew somebody had done something, and they’d be sitting outside my office.
Now imagine being away for four months, and you, as the lead person, walk back into your office. Would you want everyone to rush up and start dumping problems on you? Would you want to be met in the parking lot with, “Wow, we’re happy you’re back, you have to do something about X, Y, and Z!”?
We are eager to have our minister, Jim McKinley, back in our midst. So let’s all be aware that he will probably like a little space and a little time to ease back into his role. Let’s welcome him back as each of us sees fit, but put yourself in his “moccasins” and approach him as you would like to be greeted on your return to the job after a lengthy absence.
On another note, I have given great thought to Michael Carter’s sermon on Truth. I was encouraged to think about what constitutes the truth, whose truth, and whether there is ever such a thing as the solid truth. The concept of assumptions and how they direct or misdirect our search for the truth has come to mind. Pat and I love to spend time on the “Jumble” and the crosswords in the paper every morning. Along with playing cards and having a glass or two of wine in the evening, it is the best time of the day. You may not be familiar with the “Jumble” but basically it is unscrambling words and putting certain key letters into answering the punch line of a cartoon quiz. I had an “X” that I was struggling to get into the answer; if there is a rare “X” it must be important. After about twenty minutes I had the bright idea to question my assumption. “Maybe X was not important; what if…?” Bingo! Within a minute the scales fell from my eyes and the solution came simply. The same idea applies in crossword puzzles. You absolutely treasure your clever solution, but nothing else will work with it. Once you question your assumptions, you take the first step in thinking clearly.
Michael’s sermon encouraged me to think more about the role of assumptions in my life. Many of my assumptions about politics, world affairs, or any of a dozen of social issues could hold me back from reframing my thoughts. Along with the concepts of “good intent” and “right actions,” this insight has helped me to improve my search for meaning and truth. I remember something from one of Jim’s Buddha-tarian sermons that encouraged me to resist the temptation to make judgments about others. Ridding oneself of the obligation to form judgments about everything and everyone is liberating and calming.
I value our UU principles because they free my senses to formulate the values that I want to live, learn, and grow by.
Keith Dalbec
President