Listening to The Man?

Occasionally, when we get into the car in the morning my son, Spence, will ask me what many think is an unusual question. "Daddy, can we listen to the man today?"

Who is this man? Is it THE man or just any man? Why does it have to be a man...why not a woman?

Well the answer is much easier than all that. As a teacher and sometimes speaker, I listen to a lot of books on tape; Everything form Brian Tracy to George Orwell, and Zig Ziglar to Mark Twain. And admittedly, Spence is just as likely to get a snippet of a novel as he is a motivational or self help tape. It really just depends on what I have going on that day or what is up next on my iPod. I will admit that Ziglar is one of my favorites, He teaches that basic values are the key to success, he advocates helping yourself by helping others, and, yes, he sounds a lot like some of the preachers, salesmen, and old soothsayers I grew up with in rural Texas. But one of the main reasons, that I like him can be summed up best in an observation that my daughter made a few years ago while we were listening to one of Zig's tapes: " He sounds like he's smiling..."

Who doesn't like to listen to a voice that is encouraging and optimistic whenever they have the chance? Isn't it even better when what they have to say seems to be a personal prescription just for your current situation? I have a lot of recordings and I can honestly say that I have one for almost any mood that I might encounter.

However, my challenge on some days is that I don't want to listen...I want to talk. I talk about the challenges  I know are coming that day or the person that I think is an obstacle to me in completing a project. I complain about all kinds of things that may not be a problem yet but, by golly, I've got my stink eye on them, just in case. On these day's Ziglar is of no use. His wife told me so...and asked me to please stop calling!

It's on days like this that I need to listen to The Man. The big Man, the Man upstairs...the Man who created the universe Man. If I am considering His message for me and the way He defines my success, then I can turn a whole days worth of disasters into something wonderful...before they actually happen!

Now I know that in a metaphysical sense, God is not a man, anymore than he is a woman, a toadstool, or an aardvark. God has his own classification and justifiably so...because he is The Man! The Man is just a euphemism for "the one in charge", " the Big Kahuna", the "Grand Pubah". So forgive me when I say that my day is not complete without just a moment's acknowledgement to, and from, the Man.

Most days, I try to pause, just for a second, as I roll out of bed and ask for help as I start a new day. I might even try to throw in a bit of gratitude for the good fortune that I have enjoyed so far in my life. Now, that is no small feat when you haven't even brushed your teeth. But I try. What is amazing is that now that I have been at it a while, I find that I don't have to remember it anymore. It comes to me naturally...all I have to do is talk and then listen. I found out the old fashioned way, by experience, that if you say 'good morning' to someone early in the day (and mean it), they are a lot more likely  to talk to you the rest of the day. Its a good rule for the spouse, your boss, and The Man.

Maybe today, or tomorrow, Spence will ask me if we will listen to the Man. I hope that I can say "I have already talked with him personally and he has encouraged me, enlightened me, and given me direction!" Because who doesn't like to listen to a voice that is encouraging and optimistic whenever they have the chance? He might even have a personal prescription just for your current situation! 

And as Spence gives me that look of compassion mixed with confusion that indicates he believes I have lost my ever-lovin' mind, I will spin the dial on the iPod and see if I can find some Ziglar to get us started.