My heart sank a little bit.
You see, I love Mr. P.
And Mr. P loves me.
But Mr. P and I have very different philosophies about the gym.
Mr. P's philosophy is 'if you can't socialize at the gym what is the point'. Whereas my philosophy is 'why would I want to make friends when I'm all sweaty and so are you'.
I was just hitting my stride on the treadmill when Mr. P told me I was "going nowhere fast", followed by the same repertoire of jokes, family stories, and life's accomplishments he regales me with each and every time we meet.
They are great stories. Mr. P has had an amazing life and has incredibly talented children to show for it. But I just wish he could remember a new story every now and again.
There is no escaping Mr. P once he gets started. So I Walked With Mr. P and his stories and did my best to smile and look as interested as I had the first time I'd heard them.
And that's when Mr. P changed the game.
Out of nowhere he broke into song. Song! A good morning song about the sun shining down on a magnificent girl named Katie.
All because an 80-year-old guy found something new to say. Which I would have missed if I hadn't let him tell me all his same stories and all his same jokes.
There are many times when I am quiet, many times when I don't want to write or talk or preach, because I fear I have nothing new to say. But maybe that is normal. Maybe I'm just warming up to something new to say...to anyone who has the patience to really listen.
There was no way avoiding the guy with the same jokes when you were married to him. The kids and I used to roll our eyes and think "oh, no" here we go again whenever Art met a kid under 10 and asked if they were married yet....etc etc. Now ...what is the first thing I think when I met a new kid ...yep..."are you married yet?" Of course I don't have Art's personality so it doesn't get said but it does get thought because those same old jokes defined who he was...what he was and what he will always be to those who knew him during his journey as a human being on this earth. So cherish those moments when you are rolling your eyes and know some day it will only be a wonderful memory and not a reality. And if you can learn a life lesson as well....wonderful.
ReplyDeleteSuch great thoughts! My grandpa used to tell the same jokes over and over but I can't ever remember getting tired of them. It's been 17 years since I've heard those jokes and I would love to hear them again!! I think the difference was that I was young and enraptured by every moment I got to spend with him. He had one of those infectious personalities like your Art! Now my days are too much about schedules and agendas and checking things off my list. Perhaps it might serve me well to hang out at the gym and socialize more often with these storytellers!
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