Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Xmas Trees, Mood, and Scouting

Some random thoughts from comments I've recently made on other people's blogs:

I cannot abide our Christmas tree unless its lights are turned on. It is so dark and depressing without the lights on, and so very appealing when they are on. I'm usually the guy who goes around the house flipping off lights to save energy, but it's the opposite with the Xmas tree.

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As far as energy and feeling good, I get some exercise but eat out too much and don't always get enough sleep, so I usually feel like I have adequate to good energy, but I often have dozy periods during the day (I'm notorious for sleeping in meetings and lectures of any kind). My main complaint would be in the area of mood rather than physical health/energy; about a third of the time, I'm in a fairly negative/bad mood about life. Fortunately, it usually goes away after a day or two and I have two or three neutral and/or happy days before it comes back again.

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I've pretty much crashed and burned with Scouts twice. First time, I was called as Scoutmaster in a mostly retired ward with few youth, and someone dropped off a briefcase full of Scouting CRAP, and I didn't look at it or meet with the Scouts EVEN ONCE, and then a few weeks later I came down with Hodgkin's disease and promptly handed back the briefcase, even managing to joke that maybe cancer was a reasonable out (I WAS JOKING).

The second time I was called into Cubs to help a guy with a den, and he tried to get me to take every other den meeting, but I refused and basically said "I'm just here to make sure you don't molest anyone." And so that's what I did for several months, just sit and watch den meetings every week, maybe helping out a little if given a very specific task. Finally I was released and felt so relieved.

I have three young boys and will likely be asked again at some point, and I am prepared just to politely decline, despite all the brainwashing we hear about what a slap in the face it is to the Lord if we decline any calling, all of which are extended by REVELATION, folks, REVELATION. Why make myself miserable and do the Scouts a disservice?

4 comments:

Jonathan Langford said...

You could always just tell them you're same-gender attracted. That would probably work...

Montgomery Q said...

"I'm just here to make sure you dont molest somebody."
HA! I need to use that sometime.

Patrick said...

What about the good times you had participating in scouting or church related activities? I know you are a part of the good memories I have related to those activities. You don't feel the need to pay it forward?

Christopher Bigelow said...

Ah, Patrick, sounds like you're a much better person than I am... I do appreciate those who do stuff with the youth, and I'd accept a Sunday teaching calling for youth, but not anything during the week. I have a good excuse: I work 3-4 jobs so am not available in the evenings.