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Need to work harder at not being a grumpy old bear

I think I may be rapidly turning into the grumpy old man yelling at kids to get off his lawn.

The other day the little boy from next door rang my doorbell while I was at work so I answered it using the intercom function of my “Ring” home security system. I’m pretty sure I didn’t holler “get off my porch,” but the poor bugger ran away like I had. I hope he was just startled that the doorbell was talking to him.

I am pretty sure I’ve been a real bear to be around for a while now. In fact “The Old Bear” is my wife’s nickname for me. I’m sure she is referring to me lovingly when she calls me that.

If I landed a movie role it would be John Gustafson in “Grumpy Old Men.” I believe I would even be capable of breaking my best friend’s fishing rod some days.

Those bearing the main burden of my wrath are my wonderful wife and those I work with. I argue with them, I constantly correct everything they do and I don’t let up. That’s really not right and I should know better because I’ve been in their position and it’s no fun when you know everything you do is going to be wrong.

Even worse are those people who wander into my life and openly display how stupid they are. I’ve really taken some folks’ heads off lately but they deserved it. Well maybe not to the extent I dished out. I know Blue Collar Comedy comedian Ron White proclaims, “You can’t fix stupid.” But I really should be like his buddy Bill Engvall and crack a joke and tell people “Here’s your sign.”

I really do need to improve my life in this area and I’ve prayed about it a lot and I’ve been trying to do better.

Unfortunately, when I asked my wife how I was doing she pleaded the Fifth. I still have a lot more work to do to achieve the tolerance and peace I’ve been praying for.

In Colossians 3:12 the message I should be living by is spelled out pretty plainly.

“Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

It’s easy to fly off the handle, be mean and treat people bad. But it’s hard to live with the burden it leaves on the heart.

Karl Terry writes for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at:

[email protected]