Thursday, April 30, 2009

Transitory Things

Excerpts from The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis
Book 1 Chapter 11
Of Seeking Peace of Mind and of Spiritual Progress

We may enjoy abundance of peace if we refrain from busying ourselves with the sayings and doings of others, and things which concern not ourselves. How can he abide a long time in peace who occupieth himself with other men's matters, and with things without himself, and meanwhile payeth little or rare heed to the self within?...We are too much occupied with our own affections, and too anxious about transitory things.

Standing in line this afternoon, I was reminded of the assault of the celebrities in the grocery store check-out lanes. The cover of one periodical pronounces that Brad has been kicked out of the house. Another opines that Angelina is pregnant and they are planning their fabulous wedding. Stars without make-up. Stars with tons of make-up and touched up photos. Unfaithful spouses. Divorces. Diets. Dating. Not dating. On and on...

You know what? I! Don't! Care!

You think I want to know Drew Barrymore's opinion on...anything?

Nope.

Just sell me some clean, healthy food that I can take home to my family. And please don't make me explain what a le*bian is to my daughter while we wait in the check-out line.

Yet another reason to grow your own groceries.

4 comments:

Lori said...

I sure enjoyed this post. It is a reminder to me even while I struggle with those kind of things in everyday life. It is so easy to lose your focus.

Thanks,
Lori

Deb said...

Lori,

Yes, Kempis always makes me think about what's important!

Thanks for stopping by!

Anonymous said...

I used to feel sullied after I went through the grocery store line. It's a time when I used to pray thanks that there is abundant food and that we have access to it, but then I started feeling as though I had gone through the reverse of a car-wash...like mud had been flung on me instead of being washed off.

So, as I often do, I started imagining in order to block out the ugliness. First I imagined what a grocery store that cared about the health and integrity of our people and nation would put in this key place in everyone's life. What would *I* put there if I owned a grocery store? Okay, I know it wouldn't sell as well, but I would put Penguin Classics. Because they're affordable. Because many people would see titles and think, "Oh, I always wanted to read that! What's that about?" That wouldn't be assuming that everyone is Christian and making it look like a Zondervan store, but it would feed people just the same. And perhaps I'd put up some library type posters, the type that make reading and classics and feeding your mind look as beautiful as they are.

What if the TVs that were up flashed lovely nature scenes instead of annoying commercials?

Then I imagine (because sometimes our lines are VERY long!) that I live in a culture that values Wisdom more than flash. What would be on the magazine covers? Well, forget who are the top ten Hollywood stars...it is NEVER made known to us who are the ten wisest people in America. And what they have to say about what's going on in the world. And about how to access them to learn from them. (And I don't mean the top ten money-makers, either...I don't consider Gates, Buffett and Trump to be pinnacles of wisdom....) Who are they, anyway? I'd love to see their faces in the checkout aisle.

So I imagine the world as I would like it to be.

Deb said...

Josie,
I'll come to your store anytime. Let me know when it opens!
:)