Please Wear Pants

There is a new normal in virtually every aspect of my life.  Stay home, shelter in place, wash my hands frequently, social distancing, wear gloves, use hand gel.  There are no ball games to attend, no concerts or musicals, no church services (unless you’re an outlier church leader who defies authorities), no dining out.

Some of the new normals have positive elements.  We’re having family video calls via Zoom.  We’re also having video “Happy Hours” with friends.  Going out for walks we see lots of people, couples, and families doing the same thing – exploring the neighborhood by walking.  In April my weekly Toastmaster group will be meeting via Zoom.

I am not an island, so my life involves engaging and interacting with people.  Now most of that is being done by phone, email, and texting.  How do I engage in life with family, friends, colleagues, clients and customers?   Left to my own devices I can easily roll out of bed, brush my teeth, put on a baseball hat and get after things.  Who cares what I’m wearing, whether I’ve shaved or taken a shower?

What have I learned about myself?  Going back to “I am not an island” for just a moment.  If things are only up to me, I can be a couch potato, stay in “perma-casual mode”, and get a bit physically or mentally lazy.  The
good news is that I have a roommate – my wife Paula.  And she loves me.  So, when I lean in a bit too much to wearing basketball shorts or sweats, she can lovingly ask “Please wear pants.”

There is a proverb in the Old Testament that says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend”
(Proverbs 27:17).  We make each other better.  My wife, children, and friends make me better.  In our family if I start mind-wandering, or forget something, or don’t listen attentively enough the comment is “Sharpen Dad………….”  How fortunate am I to have people who love me, encourage me, and make me better.  It’s a great thing to have someone say “Please wear pants……………”