f mall walking. Any time I take my wife to work on a Saturday, I always try to get in 45 minutes of brisk walking in the air conditioned splendor of the mega mall where she works. Just because I'm walking at a pretty fast clip does not mean I'm not paying attention to my surroundings. I am well aware how the world is made up of morning people and un-morning people and this truth is in full bloom when you walk the mall before the opening bell sounds. Many of the younger folks are stumbling in from wherever and they literally appear to be sleep walking their way to their designated duty stations. They typically are not too excited to run into an old dude who has been up since dark-thirty zipping past them as they trudge along to their work stations. I read the other day that we who are called baby boomers are perhaps the last generation of really hard workers. This supposedly came from surveys of the follow on generations but the studies did have some hope especially in the most current generation that for some odd reason shows a little more commitment to work than their parents and grandparents. Why should this matter? For starters, it has something to do with the number of baby boomers joining the retirement ranks which will make a huge claim on the social security funds as well as drawing from investments that depend on these younger workers to keep the companies healthy that provide retirement stipends. I sure hope some of those I saw Saturday morning are not the ones I'm counting on but then again I'm sure many my age way back when may have had similar thoughts about me. On second thought, I doubt seriously anyone who observed my work h
abits would have ever gone there but at the same time I'm not sure I had the right balance either.Another thing I noticed was how the huge banners and posters outside the stores had pictures of folks looking stunningly beautiful but the people inside those stores looked nothing like the ads. What's up with that? Some of the ads showed ladies thin as a pencil. They are most likely those who literally starve themselves and have all types of eating disorders. Yet, we must be attracted to these incomprehensible displays or they wouldn't be using them as drawing cards. Looking at the folks who ring at the register in
some of these stores demonstrates a better view of reality. Chubby and squatty just like most Americans but it really even shows up more if they happen to be standing underneath one of those huge banners. What a contrast! Most of the walkers are older and many are much older. I did see some younger ladies being coached through some exercises down in one of the large open spaces on the ground level. They all were on mats and they all had their babies with them in strollers. They were doing leg lifts and the leader was shouting out encouragement. I saw one lady doing only one leg at a time while the others were doing both legs. Now, there's someone I can identify with. I'm almost certain I would be a one leg at a time or perhaps even a no leg at a time if I were a part of the group. None of them seemed to be having a good time and a few of the babies weren't too happy either.Those ads that are plastered everywhere reminded me how easy it is to buy into something that very quickly ends up not measuring up to what we might have imagined it to be. Just in the past few weeks I have observed some of this in action where people have jumped into things thinking one thing but learning all too soon that the ugly old head of reality does have a way of making itself known. I'm not pointing fingers because I can stand up and be counted when it comes to this very same thing. We all can! I had a friend tell me the other day he has no conscious memory of dreaming while sleeping. I have plenty to report both while sleeping o
r awake. I think this dream view of things is sometimes how we get into buying something or becoming involved in what turns out to be very much unlike what we envisioned it to be. How can we avoid this? First and foremost we have to realize that nothing this world has to offer will ever fully satisfy the needs of our heart. That comes from God and God alone. Secondly, we must be aware of these human tendencies that can capture our imagination but leave us empty and disillusioned. Lastly, we can evaluate, think about it, pray about it, investigate, seek counsel from others, and study and study before we look and leap. That way when we buy that special suit or dress we will be fully aware that it will not make us happy or fulfilled and we certainly will not end up looking like the person on the banner. And, that's the word from the mall, and I know you will be glad to have tuned in. That would also be a huge leap of a guess on my part, but God bless us all anyway! Amen. .....More later.
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