Pathway Blooms

I love humour and I love to laugh! Anything from a private smile or a quiet chuckle to the kind of laughter I have no control over. It reminds me I’m alive, often shifting my perspective and splashing joy in my day.

On my way to a friend’s house recently, I enjoyed a little chuckle. As I rounded the corner leading out of our suburb, I saw a man and his dog. I’ll try to describe exactly what I saw so it seems a little more worthy of a chuckle.

The man was a little younger than me, and as I slowed, I had time to take in the full detail of what he wore. A pair of baggy, faded, seen-a-better-day pair of shorts and a matching tee shirt - not matching in colour, more matching in age and state of disrepair! A tatty hat and a pair of old thongs finished off the far-from-perfect outfit. In the millisecond before I noticed anything else, I was already smiling and what I noticed next, gave wings to my chuckle.

The man’s hands were swinging loosely by his side, totally free of the dog’s lead which appeared to be attached to some hidden part of his shorts. To begin with I wasn’t quite sure why I was chuckling but something about this man and his dog, struck a chord.

As I continued my drive, I thought about the picture which was now etched in my mind. The man looked the epitome of laziness! Everything about him and the way he walked screamed, “I’m not using an ounce more energy than I have to today.” One could assume he was a lazy person but perhaps that wouldn't be fair. On any other day he may be a conscientious, hard working man, but today he was having a lazy day. It seemed he didn't even want to walk the dog. The dog in fact, was taking him (and his shorts) for a walk!

That thought led to another, as often happens, and I ended up at the most unexpected place. I found myself thinking about the things we are sometimes lazy about, the kinds of things that should never be associated with laziness - forgiving a wrong, showing gratitude, offering a kind word or helping someone in need. These build us and others up, and joy is often an unexpected bi-product, a good reason to be intentionally working at these things!

On the other hand, we would do well to be lazy when it comes to keeping a record of wrongs, hurting others with our words and engaging in gossip. Easy to do, these natural tendencies have nothing good to offer. Whether we are conscious of it or not, they tear down and destroy.

I suspect the word ‘laziness’ may continue to conjure in my mind, the image of a dog taking a man and his shorts for a walk. That’s a good thing because I need to be reminded often, that I should be in the business of building others up.