The Sweet and Higher Ground

Confession time. I used to love the Sweet, the band pictured above. Even if the blonde looked like one of my elderly Louisiana aunties and the rest of the guys looked like bricklayers in wigs. I liked them. I bought their records. Loved the harmonies in the insipid pop songs they played. Didn't know individual members names, or drool on them. Just loved the music.

I have very happy memories of basketball practice after school involving the Sweet. The ubiquitous radio churned out a happy stream of always on the radio pop while we practiced dribbling and layups. When Sweet came on with their latest hit "Little Willy" smiles would break out, the ball forgotten and we'd all dance. Even the nuns in their full habits. It was just happy fun time music for us.

Last week the bass player died, Steve Priest of "Are You Ready Steve?" fame and all their albums. As is my wont to do I responded by looking at all the Sweet videos my friends were sharing online, and I downloaded a book about the band.

Then I find out in the book that the song 'Little Willy' we eagerly danced to was about penis???? Great, just great, ruining my memories with sex. Dancing with nuns to a song about dicks.

I'm glad I was too innocent to know what they were really singing about.

Sometimes now, at sixty, I stumble over something that I assumed was something else. It's always disconcerting. The trick is not reacting. I rarely do. Especially publicly. Look at all the recent crap tossed at me by my troll. I laugh.

It's not just because I'm an old fart either, limping between garden, guesthouse, pool and main house. Part of it, a big part is that most of the time I'd just rather not be bothered by the trolls of this world. Sling their rears on Jerks 4 Jesus and laugh. Try to put Michelle Obama's "When they go low we go high" into practice. Every day. I might grumble about unmasked fools and Tico drivers but usually by the time I've moaned I'm over it.

I was not very good at that earlier in the week, being triggered by a few stupid accusations from people not even involved in what was happening. I apologize for that, dear readers. It's not me. Someone found my button, accusations of legal wrongdoing, and stomped on it hard. I reacted badly. 

Better to just stay innocent, going 'huh?' when someone proclaims their pretty tune is about dicks. Keep short offense lists, don't fight with petty people, and keep moving forward like that old saying "The dogs may back but still the caravan moves forward."

There are a couple of songs out there I like to listen to in an effort to remind me to stay above most frays.

I cannot wait to go back and restart worship, COVID 19 or not. I need it to keep focused off the stupidity.

Another life lesson that was repeated in January is the power of apology in humility. Had a real life incident here where I was accused of flipping a bird at someone during a social event. There was just one problem, I had not done it. I wasn't sure what the heck they were thinking. But I had a severe new med interaction with the single glass of Shiraz I'd drank and ended up fallen down goofy drunk. My flailing to stand upright had obviously been taken wrong.

At the time one of them tried to talk to me, and I blew them off with a hostile, "Are you kidding?" They left offended. I surely did not use a 'gentle word' to turn away wrath. I was triggered enough to behave like that, not at all like I should have. Sometimes that happens when I'm feeling less than well.

The next day, sober, breathing better, I went to those involved and apologized that they'd felt I wronged them. I hadn't done what they thought I had, but I decided it was better to take the higher road on this. I am glad now I did it. Both relationships were repaired, and one of those people cited what I'd done as a character-revealing moment about me that blessed them. Apparently they'd rarely seen someone else go far out of their way to heal a misunderstanding. I genuinely did not want a beef with them over something so stupid. Both now understand they misunderstood what was going on that night, and saw that for the sake of mercy, grace, peace and unity I was willing to take a humble and say I was sorry to offend anyone.

 I suspect I'm going to have to do that again. Again, it does not mean that the other person gets a free pass to treat you badly again. But it offers forgiveness, and frees that person up to receive whatever karma is coming to them. I just know I have to wait until I feel more merciful and less sick to offer a slight olive branch.

Just have to remind myself that everyone is human and flawed.