Carole commented on my Catch yesterday about the noisy events at a crowded Starbucks. She painted a picture of everybody’s personal space (mine included) as being a bubble around them, and how we either bounced off each other or in some cases, as in the case of the guy playing hymns on his flute, our bubbles merged. “Notice how bubbles that you did not bump and merge with (however briefly) were annoying, but when the flautist entered your sphere, it was soothing to you.”
As I took in Carole’s comments, I suddenly realized how I had devalued the people who were annoying to me. I certainly didn’t like the mothers with their babies, and for sure the smacking lips couple bugged me. Even the guy on the flute bothered me until I realized he was playing hymns. I made these people less than human because they were in my way, and yet they had just as much right to be there and do what they were doing as I did.
That was all up to me. I could have chosen to merge my bubble with those around me — I could have let them into my world and merged with them, even if it was just in my mind. For instance, love is beautiful thing. My son and his new bride of a year now are always kissing. But that’s my son, and not the couple next to me. Their free expression of love was something from which I could have benefited. As for motherhood and new life, I could have entered into that beauty as well instead of just being annoyed by their loud conversation. It all depends on how you take it in.
We have a mockingbird on our block that likes to camp out just outside our bedroom window and mock. He starts in at night, when the noise of the day has subsided, and goes on until morning, piercing the silence with his musical chatter. That’s a little annoying to me, too, if I’m having trouble getting to sleep. My wife, on the other hand, likes it. She finds it welcome company to go to sleep by.
Last night we were up late with an out of town guest and Marti noticed how it was uncharacteristically quiet when we climbed into bed. She even tried to call out to the mockingbird as if it had gone to sleep on the job. “Shhhh!” I warned, thinking she might be successful. Fortunately for me, she wasn’t, but I can’t help but notice the different ways we look at the mockingbird as illustrative of how it’s really up to us to benefit or not benefit from those around us. It all depends on how you see it.
Carole’s conclusion rings true here: “Nothing positive happens until we either allow someone into our sphere or we are invited to enter someone else’s. Maybe having one’s bubble burst isn’t such a bad thing after all.”
John Fischer The Catch 
Hey John! Tell Marti she can rejoice for Mr Mockingbird’s silence. It probably means he’s found a mate. You see, the male mocks sing to attract the girls – the louder and more varied the song, the more the ladies like it. Younger males who haven’t built up their repertoire yet have a harder time finding a wife, so they sing all day and night in hopes of finding “Miss Right” or even “Miss She’ll Do in a Pinch” – so his silence likely means he’s found her and they’re fixing to start a little family.
Hahahaha! Thanks for the great description. I needed a laugh.
Or she was desperate and decided HE would do in a pinch!
And today’s catch is why I keep on reading…honesty about how God is taking a purebred Pharisee and changing his heart…this is the example I need to help me along the same path!
Good for you. Welcome to the Recovering Pharisee group!
Very early in our marrage, my new bride discovered the she married the loudest most incredable snorrer in creation. I was so bad I’d wake myself up. The fix for me was to ware ear plugs, it worked ok for me, minsus the elbow in the ribs. I spent 20 years in the Army, and in the Army you spent a good amount of time in the field sleeping in tents made for about 20 other solders. Their fix was to set up a pup tent at least 50 yards away from their tent. A few times they “forgot about” me when it came time to move the Unit to a new location.
Johnny (sorry if it isn’t cool to call you that, all John’s are Johnny to me) I so appreciate your openness. I had a good day today until right at the end, it got real dark in my soul. I couldn’t blame it on anyone or anything or even myself (none of which helps anyway) so I chalked it up to something demonic. Seeing it as such I chose to grab some grace and push through. It took me a couple of hours but peace came eventually. My incredible wife told me to do what I had to do so I went into the back yard with my dog, lit a cigar, and laid in the hammock staring at the late afternoon Tennessee sky. Grady, our JackChi mix jumped up on my chest, layed down and just stared at me as if to say “relax Bob it’s all good”. You know what, it is all good because when I get down to it it’s all God. I’m His and He is mine. Thanks for sharing your “bubble” with us. I just read today’s catch when I came in and wanted to share a little. Stay the course my brother, fight the fight (even when you can’t blame anyone or anything), Keep the faith!