Remember that show from the ’80s, “The A Team?” That’s when we were introduced to the famous Mr. T. They would catch bad guys and right all the wrongs each week. They did it in such a cool way that we felt like we were a part of the drama. Whatever task they had to do that week always worked out. At the end of the show, their leader would say the same thing. He would say, “I love it when a plan comes together.”
From early on in my life, I figured out that’s not reality. Going back to my days playing baseball was the first. Baseball was very important to me. I loved the game and took my glove with me everywhere I went, hoping by some chance I would need it. Ronnie Gilliland was my coach one year and I spent most games behind the plate as a catcher. Like most of us can relate, my dream was to pitch, not to catch. After at least 50 times asking to pitch, my big day arrived. I went to the mound for what I was sure would be nothing less than a perfect game. As it turned out, I was not a pitcher or even close to being one. Mr. Gilliland was right all along. I was devastated, disappointed and embarrassed that I did not get what I wanted. The coach was right, and I was not. Was I grateful for the lesson? You know the answer to that one.
When the recent events in the world today started, I was somewhat skeptical. Is all this hype necessary? Where will it end? As it looks now, we all will be doing without things we want. We will have no vote in this. Stores will close, events will cancel and items we wish to purchase will not be there. What are our options?
For me, we do have one good option. We will be going without the things we have taken for granted. But we do have a say in how we will react to it all. We have the option to fight it, complain about it, or even try to find ways around it. Charles Swindoll said it best: “Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it.”
Rather than point fingers and place blame, would we all be better served to concentrate on our reactions? Will we be on the side that just makes it all worse trying to figure out a way around the new systems now in place? Or, will we be on the side that looks at the big picture and see what’s best for all?
As we all know, there will be more changes before this is all over. There may be many out there reading this in total disagreement with me, but I see that there are only two options for how we handle the crisis we all now face.
Option 1: I was at a local supermarket just last week. There were signs everywhere that certain items had a purchase limit. I saw a mother with two mid-teenage daughters. Each of them had a cart with the same items in them, thus making them three different shoppers — all to get around limits made by the store so they could supply needs for as many shoppers as they could.
Option 2: The minister at the Hillsboro Church Of Christ, Jim Bush, was announcing to the congregation via Facebook this week. His advice not only to that church, but to us all was to treat this as a ministry opportunity. To use what we have to help those who have little or nothing at all. He asked for us to always be looking for a way to help someone else and not think about only ourselves.
History always seems to have a way of repeating itself. If that is true, the current crisis we are in will end. No one can tell you when, but it will. Please ask yourself, how will your actions be remembered?
Did you go with option 1, or option 2?
Randy Butler is a lifelong resident of Highland County and a licensed real estate agent for Classic Real Estate in Hillsboro.
