THE REAL MOTHER OF INVENTION [M, 6-8-20]

“DAILY” DEVOTIONAL-Waiting for the Spirit

THE REAL MOTHER OF INVENTION         [M, 6-8-20]

Helen was very proud of herself yesterday morning. She had fixed her breakfast, situated it on her tray, and gotten settled into a reclining position on the sofa, with the tray on her lap. There was a boiled egg, with butter and salt, and a pot of tea, and a slice of toast. But no silverware.

I was out walking, so she couldn’t ask me to get her some eatin’ arns [eating irons, for you uninitiated], as they called silverware in Monon, Indiana, when she was growing up, and she didn’t want to make the long reach to put the tray over on her sofa-side table, and struggle up off the sofa, and trudge all the way to the kitchen, and then return to redo the getting settled routine, so she contemplated her dilemma… and came up with a solution, as we often do if we are patient and thoughtful.

She explained to me that she ate the big parts of the egg with her fingers, then swamped up the little, elusive parts with her toast. The tea required no creativity. And, she joyously proclaimed, since she knew I would be pleased, because I am the dishwasher, “I saved a fork from getting dirty.”

Whoever said that necessity is the mother of invention was not quite correct. The real mother of invention is laziness. Or old-age lassitude, which is sort of a laziness, but more an absence of ambition, just not wanting to bother.

A lot of life, even before old age, is figuring out work-arounds. Some work-arounds have already been thought out for us, though. They’re already accessible. Like working around hate and anger and revenge. There is a work-around called “forgiveness.” It might not save a fork from getting dirty, but it’s always available.

JRMcF