Sunday, May 25, 2014

How Jerry Seinfeld Taught Me About Purpose

Jerry Seinfeld has a comedic bit about the idea of why men wear a tuxedo at a wedding, so that if the groom were to be a no show then the best man could take a step to his left and the ceremony could just keep humming along. This is why the priest/pastor says, "Will you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband," because the language needs to be generic for such a scenario.

Believe me it's a hilarious bit, and it actually taught me a fair amount about purpose.

I thoroughly enjoy the creative aspect of my work and it feels like something, or better someone, is calling out to me from deep within. It's as if God is whispering, "I need you to do this work because there is no one else who can do what you do. This work depends on your unique touch." If I don't show up, if I don't live my life expressed through this wiring that God has weaved into me, well, there isn't someone a step to the left "dressed" to fill in.

So my soul soars when I am invited to create, to arrange words and craft sermons that help unleash truth for people in such a way they can grab hold of it.  The empty canvas is waiting for me to collect words from the bottomless bucket of my soul, where God keeps inserting fresh supplies each and every day. It is beautiful, a gift, and I endlessly say "thank you God!"

So on the other side of this idea of purpose and uniqueness, then, is being a cog in society's generic machine. You know, getting by, just plodding along trying to pay the bills. This machine functions in order to keep you and I busy doing the mindless drivel that can lead to waking up 25 years from now wondering, "Where did it all go, and why did I just let it go?". No uniqueness required here, just punch the time card and sleep walk until you hear the whistle blow.

Death - to - my - soul.

This machine is brilliant in it's design, in it's ability to keep you running on a wheel trying to get the cheese, yet it will forever be out of reach. Run little mouse run. There are a lot of things that just beg for our participation, for us to jump on the wheel that isn't going anywhere. We have created a dictionary full of words and phrases to describe this, but we haven't done anything to shut the machine down. Busy work, grunt work, the mundane, and on and on the pages turn. When I find myself in this rut, when I'm asked to be a cog in the machine, my soul shrivels up like a leech dipped in salt.

So my question is, how do you tell the tailor he can keep the tux? How do you hang a sign that says this assembly line is permanently out of order? Because maybe like me, your soul hungers to wear something a bit more unique, to live a life a life that is a bit more, you.


Dad is Fat

I had the pleasure of reading Jim Gaffigan's book, "Dad is Fat," and it was hilarious with a great warmth about it. I have read books before that I felt I couldn't put down because the story was riveting and I wanted to take one more step, just one more page. Then I realize the book is ending and I am shocked at how smooth and fast it read. Well, Jim Gaffigan does that with laughter, with short stories about the joys and adventures of parenting. You just want to laugh one more time before setting it down, or hear one more quick tidbit on raising five kids in a two bedroom apartment in New York City. Then, the book is done, and so you rush to the computer to watch a clip from his stand up shows on YouTube, because Mr. Gaffigan has you hooked. A book that is hilarious, smoothly written, and is about the day to day of real life. Beautiful. This isn't written with the vibe of a wealthy, famous person prattling on about the nuisance of having kids, but an honest adventure in raising five kids in a small apartment, which is accessible humor for everyone. Oh, and clean humor! It's easy and cheap to crudely talk about hook ups, sex in marriage, or just cussing for cussing sake, and Mr. Gaffigan avoids it all. Because he understands that life is funny, that parenting is a whirlwind with endless jokes and hilarious sound bites. Beyond the funny is insight and heart as well, and it is clear that Mr. Gaffigan loves his kids and adores his wife. He seems to always be looking for a way to praise her, highlight her strength, and make you want to find the Gaffigan family for an afternoon play date with your kids. This is the kind of book that should be a best seller, and I applaud Mr. Gaffigan for his craft and his life. Keep telling stories, Mr. Gaffigan, and keep writing books because the world needs to laugh and find life insightful and heart warming.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review.