Philosophy – Marilyn R. Gardner

Two years ago our trusty 7-passenger white van was totaled by a snow plow, and with its demise an era ended.

When I found out I was pregnant with our 5th child, one of the first things we said to each other was “We’ll never fit in a ‘normal’ car again!”. And it was true. But after the van totaled we realized that we were down to a family of four, soon to be three. Our three oldest had flown the nest and another was heading that way, her graduation imminent. While we were car shopping we discovered three little words that had a big meaning – No.More.Van.

We transitioned in size fairly well, adjusting to a five-passenger PT Cruiser, but to this day there is something about that white van that we miss:the bumper sticker.

Let me explain that we are not bumper sticker people; we prefer to express our theology and philosophy of life verbally rather than through anonymous bumper stickers that declare to the world strong sentiments without the softening that is the human connection. But this bumper sticker was an exception. This bumper sticker was different. In simple black letters this bumper sticker shouted to the world: “Poetry is Necessary”.

My husband came upon it at a Slam Poetry event one evening in Phoenix and, despite his resistance to bumper stickers, bought it on the spot.

Three little words that verbalize to the world something of the importance of art, not in a way that is defensive or confrontational, but in a way that people can understand – and smile.

Poetry is Necessary – such an excellent way to live, always recognizing the artist among us. Recognizing in three simple words the unsung poet; the need to take the difficult in life and portray it in lilting words; the need to speak the language of poetry to sometimes make life bearable. Poetry is Necessary.

Bumper stickers as a rule are not necessarily kind. They tend to anonymously proclaim to the world disdain for other ideologies and beliefs. Consider the following:

“Spay and Neuter Republicans”
“Christians: Ya Can’t Live With ‘Em, Ya Can’t Feed ‘Em to the Lions Anymore
“I was an Atheist until I Realized I was God”
“Jesus Loves You But I’m His Favorite”

And then by stark contrast in black letters on a white background are the words “Poetry is Necessary”. Now those are words and a philosophy to live by!

What bumper stickers do you have or have you seen that make you smile instead of cringe? Lend your voice to the comment section.

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The lights were out and our heads had gratefully hit our pillows. It had been a long day with a lot of worries. We had prayed for our kids as per our usual bedtime routine (unless we’re fighting – speaking of which, I wonder if our kids should keep journals and we could do an informal study of those days when we don’t pray for them because of our stubbornness and fighting and those that we do and document the difference! We could then write a book on prayer! But I digress…) As I lay there tears filled my eyes and I began to cry. And then a voice from the other pillow, a voice who has known me in both the Biblical and emotional sense, for over 27 years, said “Oh no you don’t! Don’t you go crying! We’re tired. We can’t have crying!” I stopped short, my mouth open. Hadn’t he read the script?! He was supposed to either be snoring and oblivious, or to say “Honey, what’s wrong? How can I help?” He was not supposed to say “Oh no you don’t!” I began to laugh, and with the laughter the tears quickly dried.

From crying into pillow cases to “Does this make me look fat?” the differences between the sexes abound and it’s so much more than a p. and a v. Although told we are made from Adam’s rib, we know that God did a whole lot of something to that rib as He fashioned us.

Throughout the ages writers, philosophers, physicians, and pastors have attempted to use literature to write about the differences between men and women, boys and girls. Some are best sellers, others are out of print; some are worth reading, others are worth trashing; some make you think, some just stink. So it was with great pleasure that I re-discovered timeless wisdom on the differences between boys and girls, men and women. I think you will agree with me that no literature can compare with this infinite wisdom from “Little Rascals”. Please take a look – it’s a short clip and it will surely resonate on this Wednesday morning. Enjoy!

With thanks to my daughter Annie for directing me to the clip!

On another note, today I reach 75,000 views in a year and 2 months of blogging. With this milestone I am not doing a giveaway (saving that for 100,000 views!) but picking two readers – one who has been with me since almost the beginning and one that just came on board a couple of weeks ago – and sending them a gift card or a book. The two are Weaving Tapestries and The Walker Lady, respectively. I will be in touch through email with your gifts! A huge thankyou to all of you who find this worth reading! If you think your friends would enjoy Communicating Across Boundaries, please share with them. I’ve made it easy to do so through the link on the left column of the blog with the orange plus sign. Also, make sure you “Like” the Facebook page!