By JIM HARDIN
CNHI
Rockwall County —
This space is filled every week with what I call my recreational writing.
I write about what I want to write about and most of the time it’s fun.
And I try to make it light.
If I make someone smile, that makes my day. If I make somebody laugh out loud, I’ll consider retiring again because it can’t get much better than that.
I’m not sure how this week’s exercise in recreational writing will turn out because it’s a combo. It’s going to be part educational and part entertainment. I guess that’s what some people call edutainment.
And, this is written for a special audience — men. The topic is suitable for women and children, also, but I got this information from a man who said it was advice for men.
The source of this information, a San Antonio minister named Ron Corzine, said there’s a trio of three-letter sentences that each man should — or must — learn to say on a regular basis.
Men, learn to say the following:
• I don’t know.
• I need help.
• I was wrong.
The preacherman who came up with the list had some comments. However, the commentary that accompanies the sentences in this space is all mine.
“I don’t know” — This is a tough one because, well, most men do know everything. Right? That question was for men. Women, please don’t answer. And, ladies, please stop laughing, shaking your head, slapping your knee or making any other outward signs of hilarity.
Knowing everything will get you into trouble. It will get you jobs that you don’t want. If you know everything, then apparently you can do everything. So, gentlemen, back off from trying to impress somebody with how much you know. You will amaze friends and family with an occasional, perfectly timed, “I don’t know.”
This is kind of like wearing your watch on your right wrist. It feels awkward at first, but you’ll get used to it.
“I need help” — Oh my! This means it’s OK to stop and ask directions. And, yes, it even means you can share with other men about your deepest needs.
“Now wait a minute, Jim,” some of you just said. “I don’t share my deep needs with anybody. I’m not going to admit to any man — or anybody — that I need help.”
I’m going to stray from the light atmosphere here and get pretty serious. We’ve got to get past the man mentality that we’re Superman and that we can do anything we want without the help of anyone. I’ve made it over some pretty big bumps in life because I reached out and said, “Help!”
Needing help and actually asking for help is not a sign of weakness. In my opinion, it’s a sign of strength.
“I was wrong” — Wrong? Are you kidding? Admit that I was wrong? Never!
This is the point where l’m supposed to admit how gigantically hard it is to follow any of these admssions — especially I was wrong. But, the older I get, the easier it is to admit that I don’t know, I need help and, yes, even I was wrong.
So what! So, I was wrong. I’m wrong about a lot of things a lot of the time. I’m not saying that you should walk around with a repetitive, “I’m sorry.” But there are some key moments that cry out for us to say, “I was wrong.”
I know there are probably one or two men who recognize the edutainment value of what has been written today and will try their best to master the three-word sentence admissions. You know, though, that change doesn’t come easily.
So, in closing, I have a prayer for you, compliments of Red Green — a Canadian handyman who also was the title character on The Red Green Show. He also was president of Possum Lodge.
At the conclusion of every television show, the Possum Lodge members would recite the Man’s Prayer. The prayer seemed very appropriate for men who are contemplating change after reading this installment of my recreational writings.
“I’m a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess.”
