Signs say 'Move on'; good things to come

Have you heard the story about the Baptist minister, Catholic priest and Lutheran pastor who go fishing together?

I had better prefix this by saying I am a Lutheran. Thereby casting away any notion of an inappropriate story, just a light hearted story.

They get hungry and the Baptist minister says, “Oh, the ladies group made us a nice lunch, let me go get it.” He jumps out of the boat, walks across the water to his truck, grabs the lunch bag and returns across the water.

A little while later, they run out of bait. The Catholic priests says, “I stopped and got some real nice bait earlier today, let me go get it.” He stepped out of the boat, walked across the water, grabbed the bait and returned across the water.

The Lutheran pastor watched the whole thing in silence.

But he kept thinking, if they can do it surely he can. So, he steps out of the boat, sinks right to the bottom and drowns.

The two left say, “You suppose we should have told him where the rocks were?”

Often we don’t even think about the people coming behind us not knowing where things are or even the signs to read.

Life is full of signs. Some read and understood just as they are meant. Some never noticed. And some not taken at their face value.

What a simpler life we would all have if people responded to life like children and dogs. No thought to postings on life’s highways, just enjoy.

Part of the adventure of life is discovering on our own. Setting out not knowing where the path leads, what dangers are present or what not to do.

Similar to a child stepping purposefully into a water puddle. Adults don’t walk into puddles even if the signs say to go there.

If someone sees trouble we walk around, having lost that child like innocence and belief that everything will work out.

Children are surprised when their feet get wet and cold from the adventure.

Adults are surprised when the cold of reality doesn’t hit their skin like a thousand needles.

As experiences map wrinkles on our faces, we get used to being told of trouble to come and forget about how much fun trouble can be.

My second son recently got a new leg. It took me nine months to grow one for him, but the Shriners prostetics department can do it in two weeks. Now that is a sign of the times.

When he tried it on, however, it was too long. The technicians said, believe it or not, they must have “read the signs wrong.” My son begged them to make it work. And you know what? They found a way, after they just wanted to start over after seeing the signs that it was wrong.

Dogs don’t obey many signs. People who have “I don’t like dogs,” in bold letters around their necks are the same people the big mutts come give a nudge to.

I would like to take lessons from my dogs. Maybe not lessons from the big blonde lab on walking. She will go out of her way to get to an area rug before she will walk across the hardwood.

However, being content is a lesson we all could learn from dogs.

Plenty of books, motivational quotes and stories have been written about how the dog has a better grasp on what matters in life. And my lab is still trying to teach me. She can be just as content rolling on the white frozen ground during a whiteout of snow as she is bundled up under a heating blanket on high between three little human Smith blondes.

Not a hint of “boy would I rather be somewhere else,” crosses her big eyes.

Content. Joyful. Happy to be there. Anywhere. Living the dream.

Why do dogs have the corner market on good dreams? Even their marginal “bad dream” is of them chasing a rabbit through a field of clover and, can we print this? NEVER CATCHING IT!

Oh my, what a nightmare.

No, dogs know how to dream. And how to live.

Their dreams and reality work out the same. I wonder how many fields of clover I would have to run through before I realized there were no signs directing me to keep going or turn around.

Or could it be, as my oldest son so hopes is true, that we are controlling our dreams. Lucid dreaming is what he calls it. Setting the DVR each night for what we think we want to see and not even knowing it.

I’m pretty sure dogs can lucid dream. What better way to spend your nights than chasing that pesty rabbit?

Consider this your sign to step in that mud puddle. Introduce yourself to someone new. To dream. And hopefully the signs on your path will keep moving you on to good things.