Buttermilk and Whiskey, Jelly Beans and Bacon
As I sat in the locker room of the gym that night, I
overheard a middle-aged man giving a younger man advice on how to handle Valentine’s
Day. The younger man and his wife had hit a rough patch in their marriage.
I wondered if the younger man recognized the older guy from
his commercials.
“You’re taking relationship advice from a divorce attorney,”
I muttered to myself. “His TV commercial
says he hung up his shingle to help you get single.”
The attorney told the younger man not to make a big deal of
the day, or he’d have to do so every time they argued. I had to admit, the
attorney was smooth and persuasive.
I remembered a doc I’d worked with who held board certifications
in both psychiatry and neurology. Our clients would ignore his advice, more
interested in their barber or bartender’s opinion.
“Buttermilk and whiskey,” I said to myself, thinking about a
particular client. “That crazy bartender told him buttermilk and whiskey cured
depression.”
I couldn’t judge people too harshly. If we like the
messenger and/or the message we tend to follow their advice.
If someone I admired told me jelly beans and bacon were the
keys to healthy diet, I’d likely eat both until my arteries clogged and my
teeth fell out.
“When you ‘consider the source,’” I said to the locker, “you
gotta pay attention to how much you like the message and the messenger.”
Today I’ll be careful about liking the messenger and the message
too much.
Fawlty Showers 2
is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you
might know is purely coincidental.
Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:
•
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S
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