We have a street here in our town known by the very Floridian name of “Orange Avenue”. Drivers often use it to avoid the heavy traffic that runs up and down on U.S. 41. There are some very old and lovely homes lined up on both sides of Orange Avenue. Some of the trees are very old and beautiful.

One day, while driving on the short-cut, I noticed a new sign beside the road. It said, “Traffic Calming”. I remember thinking to myself that this was a terrific improvement. There might actually be a psychiatrist or therapist standing on each corner, encouraging drivers to relax, slow down, and enjoy the ride. How wrong I was. Within half a block, Tonka and I bounced into the air. I wasn’t driving fast, certainly not over the 30 mph speed limit, but the bump jarred me a bit. I no sooner recovered from this shake-up when I came to another “bump” in the road. This time, I slowed to a crawl and managed to avoid going airborne.

I don’t know about you, but I wish they’d told the truth on the sign. Why not just come out and say that their was now a SPEED BUMP built across the road? I would have quickly understood that kind of sign! Evidently these home owners had some powerful pull at City Hall. These “Traffic Calming” impediments were very close together. My guess is that they didn’t “calm” traffic much at all.

Have you ever noticed how our society has become very adept at whitewashing the truth? Many folks, including a lot of our politicians, tell lies. However, even when caught, bare-faced so to speak, they claim to have been misquoted or misunderstood or worse. Their friends and supporters often claim that, at worst, the person had “only” fibbed, misspoke, exaggerated, or misrepresented instead of the truth that they had actually lied, told a whopper, or in British colloquial terms, “dumped a load of codswallop”!

We’ve not only been lied to by politicians. Sales people, attorneys, spouses, children, eye-witnesses, police, doctors, attorneys, and, yes, even preachers, elders, deacons, and church members have “stretched the truth” until it’s unrecognizable.

It’s highly unlikely that one will ever confess a lie, ask for forgiveness, and make restitution as long as one can convince others (and themselves) that they really didn’t lie, but merely bent the truth a bit.

Well, today, while driving in the rather horrendous Snow Bird traffic on U.S. 41, I came up behind a huge truck. The box on the bed of the truck was painted bright orange. On the back of the bed was a large, easy-to-read sign. It said, “Pot Hole Patcher”! Now that’s a straight-forward, truthful sign. It said it like it is: The people connected to that truck patch pot holes! I love it!

I’d appreciate your comments and responses. Just use the “Leave a Reply” box below!  I’ll share some of what you send me next week.

FINAL RESPONSES TO “FOLLOW UP”

Editor’s note: Papaj read my latest ‘Whatcha’ and felt it need to be linked here with the last few responses to ‘Follow Up’. So here it is “What A Card” –Grant

– I so enjoyed this whole series. I have a cousin who lost her husband, suddenly, five years ago. She is still in as much grief as she was a year afterwards. So many people just seem to forget what she’s experienced, and tell her to get on with her life. She is a Christian, but she’s human, too. Sometimes it just takes some people longer than others to go through the grieving stage. Thank you for your thought provoking pieces. God bless you.

– Thanks for stirring my mind and emotions. I am committed to following your advice and DOING something about following up on those who are grieving. I will not stop with a hot dish and a pat on the back. I will provide continuing support as long as it’s needed.

– Praise the Lord for the new insight He’s provided through “Inside Out”. I’ve already “adopted” a young mother who recently miscarried. Never would have thought of responding to that particular situation without “Follow Up”. Thanks.

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