Slow Clap From the Back Left Pew

I grew up sitting in the back left pew at Lakeview United Church of Christ.  I know it may be surprising, but back then I preferred to observe before jumping into things and the back left pew was a great place to do just that. 

*This is pretty much the view from my old pew.   Technology is crazy, I know.

Back in those days, I would generally wait to see what the rest of the congregation would do before I’d follow my impulses. I was young.  That’s pretty much worn off these days.  On occasion though, following a really great choir ballad, in the quiet of the sanctuary I’d hear a soft slow clap, reflecting the cry of my heart, start from somewhere in the sanctuary. It never started from this girl sitting in  the back left pew.   

Fast forward a couple of decades and I’ve been ruminating on the noticeable change I’ve run into of late.  Increasingly I meet or observe rude, hostile individuals who feel free to say the most horrible things by justifying them with the statements “I’m just being honest” or “I’m being my authentic self”. Admittedly, sometimes my filter turns off and I speak a harsh truth.  I try to do it though in a way that does not cause the recipient to run crying from the room.  (Regardless of the fact that I may actually sort of WANT to send them crying from the room.)  I filter myself in the names of the greater good, and world peace.  I’m not entirely uncivilized, I assure you.  It seems, however, that the whole “brutal honesty” trend is becoming more and more common place.  I may prove myself old and crotchety for my years, but I just cannot rest easily with this. 

This week while watching an episode of The Bachelor (don’t judge, everyone needs their mindless relaxations…sometimes mine comes in the form of “reality” television) I saw a “gentleman” reduce a woman to tears for the umpteenth time with statements he followed up with “I’m just being honest” as justification.  This time, in response to this statement the crying lady responded with “there’s a difference between being ‘honest’ and being an ‘a**h*le’”.

BAM.  First ever slow clap from the back left pew people.  You know what?  Standing ovation coming from that back left pew.  I’ve been waiting weeks to stop watching this show hoping just one person would respond to the tear inducing “honesty” flowing freely across the screen.  Now, I can rest easy switching back over to Jeopardy or Rehab Addict.  I feel much better about my tv time when I at least come away learning random bits of trivia or useful skills like how to rehab the bathroom in a 200 year old house with the appropriate grout color for the subway tile.  Sadly, I’m not kidding about that. 

Happy FRIDAY!

-        DEC