ODDS & ENDS VII [F, 9-24-21 ] Ox Pickers, Lady Coal Miners, Being Mortal, and IDK What Else

 I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS BIG BLANK AREA TO START, BUT THEY WON'T LET ME CHANGE IT

CHRIST IN WINTER: Reflections on Faith & Life for the Years of Winter

In a recent column, Glenn McDonald told of an experience of Walter Wangerin in Africa, where he discovered “oxpeckers.” These are birds that look to be nasty. They pick at the wounds of large animals. Adding insult to injury? No, what they are doing is therapeutic. They pick out the maggots and other disease carriers. They save the lives of lots of animals by being scavengers in the least desirable places. Nature is a strange and remarkable world.

Anne Lamott says that Large Print books are “literary Depends.”

In his Spiritual Autobiography of 1975, popular Bible scholar Wm. Barclay says, in support of religious radio and TV broadcasting, “A church of the air is not an impossible dream.” We’ve had a lot of “religion” on air, but it’s more “televangelism” than actual church. With the livestreaming that has become necessary because of the covid19 pandemic, Barclay’s possible dream of a “church of the air” is an interesting possibility.

I’ve always enjoyed feeling like a scholar. That happened when I had to search through the stacks at a library and then had lots of books open and spread around on my desk, writing for Scribner’s’ reference books or Selected Sermons or the Abingdon preaching annuals. What makes a person feel like a scholar now? I look up lots of stuff on the Google, and it’s neat and easy, but it’s not the same.

Going through old correspondence files--getting ready to jettison my last two four-drawer metal file cabinets, which are really hard to get rid of now, since no one has a use for them—I’m struck with how complete typed or hand-written letters were compared to the quick notes that comprise most of email. Apparently, because email is so easy, it makes us think that it must also be quick and short.

I think it was from the excellent Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, MD, that I learned that as we age, the inside of the mouth changes position, without it being obvious to us. It tips toward the back. That is one of the reasons old people have trouble swallowing. We swallow better if, counter-intuitively, we tip our chins down as we swallow, for that puts out mouth back into normal position.

I figure I’ll probably get old some day so I’m practicing walking like an old man so I’ll know how when I need to.

The obit for Jo Ann Deffendall, age 89, was in my home county newspaper this week. It notes that “She was the first lady coal miner for the Old Ben Coal Company.” A “lady” coal miner. How quaint. How oxymoronic. How Gibson Countyish.

There are so many abbreviations for whole sentences anymore. It’s hard for an old guy to keep up. But I have just learned what DIY means, Do It Yourself. I like that. Most of us practice DIY religion. That’s okay. Unfortunately, a whole lot of people practice DIY history and science. That doesn’t turn out well. Instead of DIY they should try IDK.

Something recently reminded me of my great-aunt Nellie [Ella Blaine McFarland]. She and Grandma [Henrietta Ann Smith McFarland] were shopping together one day. Grandma needed a handkerchief and didn’t have one. Aunt Nellie said, “Not to worry. I always carry an extra.” She reached into the bosom of her dress, which was where ladies kept their hankies in those days, but couldn’t find it. Reaching all around, she said, a little too loudly for Grandma’s comfort, “I know I had two when I came in here!”

John Robert McFarland

“Heaven encourages more variety than hell.” CS Lewis