Breathe

 February 5, 2021

Two events seem to have been on everyone’s mind over the past year. Many are still obsessed with them: The election, and COVID. I’m amazed by the number of people on both sides of the aisle who cannot get past the elections. I understand those who believe the election was stolen. Even though the courts and media have assured us that the elections were fair, it’s hard to fathom the contrast between the election results and the level of enthusiasm (or lack thereof) generated by the candidates last year. The near universal antipathy of the media towards our former president is something I’ve never witnessed before, and their kid glove treatment of our current president is startling by comparison.

What is strange to me though is the inability of many ordinary people on the left to detach themselves from Trump. Years ago, a woman came into my office in a rage. She had been divorced from her husband for a number of years, but he had done something that sent her into fits. He wasn’t stalking her, wasn’t harming her in any way; he was just doing what he had always done, and it was driving her crazy. After listening to her vent for about fifteen minutes, I broke into her diatribe.

“Do you want to get back together?” I asked somewhat meekly.

“NO! I NEVER WANT TO SEE HIM AGAIN!” Her voice could be heard a couple rooms over. 

“Then why are you carrying him around with you everywhere you go?” She quieted down.

It’s not uncommon for people to emotionally shackle themselves to the very person they want to be rid of. They’ve bound themselves with chains stronger than steel to the very source of their pain. I can understand this when a marriage breaks apart, but what pleasure does anyone get from binding themselves to someone they’ve never even met? 

The other event is the ongoing COVID debacle that has paralyzed the entire world and is often more crippling elsewhere than here. Which leads me to tonight’s musing.

I love Willie Nelson. His nasally voice and not too shabby guitar playing, coupled with lyrics and melodies that reach deep inside, have intrigued me for years. “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” is but one example of his mastery of a song. I’ve never been much of a concert-goer, but I’ve seen Willie numerous times, often with my daughter-in-law. I’ve never been disappointed. He recently recorded a song the lyrics of which I can’t remember, but the title is worth the price of the album. “Bad Breath is Better than No Breath at All.” 

Willie would not be my first choice as a theologian or philosopher, isn’t the greatest example of good behavior, but this phrase is a good reminder that as bad as we may believe things are, we are still here, and that’s good. I am thankful every day I wake up, thankful that I am alive, able to work, and have enough of my wits about me to appreciate and enjoy the life I’ve been given. If this past year has you down, try looking at it from a different angle. You might be pleasantly surprised to learn that for you too, bad breath is better than no breath at all.