Say What?

Uncle Bubba cranked on the steering wheel and pulled his pickup truck into the parking lot of the gin mill. He and his buddies just came off of a successful hog hunt and they were gathering at the watering hole for a refreshing beverage and recount the morning's events; this is how legends are born. Uncle Bubba walked into the darkness of the bar and squinted as his eyes adjusted to the change in light and he could feel cigarette smoke sting his sun weary eyes. He dimly recognized The Captain at the far end of the barroom and then the afternoon sunlight broke in and the rest of the crew bounded through the door. They bellied up to the bar and the tall tales started immediately. For the uninitiated, wild hogs have exploded in population across the US and they are wreaking havoc on America's farmlands. Wild boars are classified as pests because their diet of roots leads to them tearing up the ground, killing plants in the process and hastening erosion. Uncle Bubba's crew doesn't go out to just shoot them, rather they catch them using dogs and then pen them up and fatten them on grain before harvesting them. Back at the bar, they are laughing at the day's events and as usual most of the jokes are about Cousin Earl. It just seems to be that way and in Bubbie's opinion, it's because he brings it on himself.

Earl was bellyaching about how he strained his back when he tried to pick up one of the hogs to carry it out of the woods. The boys howled at that because it was one of the smallest caught. Then his wrist hurt from this and his neck ached from that: it's always something with Earl, he's a bit of a hypochondriac. Generally, the crew rolls their eyes when they see him coming and they aren't displeased to see him go, he can wear y'all out with his complaints. Uncle Bubba tries his best to hang in there with him because they've known one another since they was babies and he kinda pities him because he knows that hypochondria is a symptom of other things, mental and emotional what-have-yous. Wistfully, Bubbie hopes that Earl gets over whatever ails him before it's too late, after all, it wears on Bubbie as well; he, like us all, has his own issues and challenges of life to deal with. Bubbie would love to be standing at the bar laughing with his buddies with Earl on equal footing and not the brunt of every joke but that's just not the way life works.

Thankfully, Uncle Bubba and Sweet Pea have a different philosophy of life that not only helps them cope but makes for a pleasant and blessed existence. Wanna know their secret? Take good care to guard your heart and listen to what comes out your mouth. They believe that what goes into their eyes and ears winds up in their hearts. Is it sugar or vinegar? That's why they don't watch any news and only watch select TV shows. They aren't on Facebook and avoid social media in general. A clean heart leads to a clean mind and what is in one's heart is what come out of their mouth. Of course, they're only human so they have their hard times like anyone else, but by listening to what comes out of their mouth they can cut the negativity off before it festers and becomes a lifestyle. Uncle Bubba clarifies that it's more like thinking about what you're about to say just before you say it and is it a good thing or bad. Is it a complaint or does it enrich the conversation? It's a choice to say only favorable, just, and virtuous things. It's like this, you think and then you do. If your thinking is off then your communication through what you say and do is off, and vice versa. As scripture says, "As he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). Bubbie admits that it's a learned skill and a practiced choice. He wasn't always this way, he came up from being just as rough a character as anyone but in Bubbie's view, having the choice of the way he was versus the way he is, is a no-brainer. Life today is way better, healthier, and happier.