Me, Jimmy, and Richard
I have a genuine concern that people don’t know how to praise one another anymore.
There are several symptoms that support this diagnosis. I recently published a tribute book to an old friend, and I invited testimonials on the theme of what this person meant to them.
My invitation to submit such letters of appreciation was met mostly with muffled harumphing sounds. Harumph! Harumph! Don’t harumph too loud, or I will single you out in the crowd.
I just issued a second call, for another person and another book. I’ll know in a couple of days if I will receive anything back.
The aloof reception is not for lack of caring. It is rather an epidemic of inarticulitis—people can’t put their thoughts into words anymore. They have become inarticulate about their own experiences of one another.
Another symptom, that may seem unrelated—depending on your point of view—is the wariness of saying a blessing over a meal. If God isn’t our friend, we’re toast. So a blessing is simply a word or two of appreciation and gratitude toward our very best friend.
The blessing, called “grace” by some, is nearly always offered by a woman, in my experience. Men are less articulate than women when it comes to saying “This is what you mean to me.” So we let the women folk talk to God on our behalf.
I encourage you to test your ability to say what your best friends mean to you. Make sure you can still do it. And if you can’t, you might want to turn your thoughts to regaining the ability.
On a larger scale, I fear that we have lost the ability to praise altogether. We are overly sensitive to people who hold records—best and biggest, richest and most powerful. But do we like them? And why?
Try it. Praise somebody. I would very much like to hear how it goes.
