Four Fools
28/01/14 04:50
I have been told that I do not suffer fools gladly. It is probably true. I don’t have too many prejudices, but I am a bit of an intellectual snob. I have never been much of an athlete, but I was academically competitive in college and graduate school. I have little tolerance for people who don’t do their homework, are too lazy to do the research, and can’t get their facts straight.That bit of trivia is one piece of background for today’s stories.
A second piece of background is this: In the last couple of years our city has suffered a stretch of bad weather. We’ve had several roof-destroying hail storms in the past two summers. We had a devastating October blizzard that not only took down trees and power lines,it also did considerable damage to many area buildings. These natural disasters have brought on a flood of storm chasers. Hail dent removal companies have set up in tents on the corners of parking lots. Out of town roofing contractors patrol the streets trying to get you to sign contracts. We have a brand new roof in excellent shape on our home and we get door hangers, cold calls, and are approached in our yard by salesmen for roofing companies. They always offer a “free roof inspection.”
With that background behind us my first fool story came last week as I was participating at a meeting at the church. A man I did not know appeared in the doorway and kept looking in, so I got up and greeted him and asked if I could help him. He stated that he was a roofing inspector and that he would be glad to offer the church a free roof inspection. I stated simply that we did not need to have our roof inspected. He persisted, stating that he had seen several broken shingles from the ground. I said I knew about the shingles and that wood shingles are different from asphalt shingles. I also said that we had our own process for inspecting and planning our roof repairs. He gave me his card. I said I could pass it on to the committee. He pushed and offered to inspect the roof so I could have the results of the inspection for the committee. I told him that we had already had our roof inspected. He wouldn’t give up. He started to tell me that many insurance company roof inspectors don’t know what they are looking at. I gave up trying to reason with the man. I stated that I needed to go back to my meeting and asked him if he needed me to show him the way to the door. He called me a “piece of work,” insulted me further, suggested that we couldn’t trust our insurance company and demanded to speak to the pastor. I informed him that I am the senior minister of the congregation. He proceeded to tell me that I had bad breath. It is possible that he was right in this observation. I informed him that his behavior wasn’t the way to make sales, tore his card in half and deposited it in the wastebasket. I few more insults were hurled over his shoulder on the way out. I don’t know whether or not the guy is a competent roof inspector. He certainly didn’t seem to be a good salesman.
A second fool story: Several people in our congregation have been generous in offering support to a man who lives out of town who seems to be in a bit of a bind. We have delivered firewood and groceries to him to help him survive the harsh winter. Sometimes he calls me on the phone just to talk. Often in our phone conversations he seems to be out of touch with reality. He expresses fears when I can’t believe that he is at risk. The county officials who are trying to do him in do not, I believe actually exist. And I don’t think anyone is out to get him. I try to be calm over the phone and reassuring. He can be a troubling interruption to my busy days and a bit of a nuisance when I have much to do, but I try to be as supportive as I can. He doesn’t do any harm that I can see and I think that it is possible that he is suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, though I’m certainly not qualified to make a diagnosis. Mostly he is a bit silly. I guess it isn’t too foolish for him to talk to me. I wouldn’t intentionally do him any harm.
The third story is similar to the second. I know a man who has done multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan as a member of the US Marine Corps. He is having trouble holding down a job since his discharge and he sometimes speaks or writes e-mail to me about “dangers” and “threats” that I simply cannot perceive. I don’t think that angry Afghan civilians, no matter how devastating the war has been in their country, are targeting our church. I don’t think anyone is spying on my home. I’m pretty sure it is safe for me to walk in my neighborhood at night. I’m pretty sure that the next terrorist attack against Americans won’t single out a Pennington County Sheriff’s Chaplain who drives a 15-year-old Subaru and likes to go canoeing at the lake. But I lend an ear to this veteran and i try to do what I can to help him. I’ve helped him with yard chores and I continue to try to be as kind as possible.
Which brings us to the biggest fool of all: me. Why would I possibly make a distinction between any of the three people mentioned above. Each is trying to make it in this world. None poses any danger or threat to me. Why did I get angry at the first one and seem to have more patience for the other two? I seem to be a bit inconsistent in my approach to people.
For a guy who doesn’t suffer fools gladly, I sure can act like a fool at times.
A second piece of background is this: In the last couple of years our city has suffered a stretch of bad weather. We’ve had several roof-destroying hail storms in the past two summers. We had a devastating October blizzard that not only took down trees and power lines,it also did considerable damage to many area buildings. These natural disasters have brought on a flood of storm chasers. Hail dent removal companies have set up in tents on the corners of parking lots. Out of town roofing contractors patrol the streets trying to get you to sign contracts. We have a brand new roof in excellent shape on our home and we get door hangers, cold calls, and are approached in our yard by salesmen for roofing companies. They always offer a “free roof inspection.”
With that background behind us my first fool story came last week as I was participating at a meeting at the church. A man I did not know appeared in the doorway and kept looking in, so I got up and greeted him and asked if I could help him. He stated that he was a roofing inspector and that he would be glad to offer the church a free roof inspection. I stated simply that we did not need to have our roof inspected. He persisted, stating that he had seen several broken shingles from the ground. I said I knew about the shingles and that wood shingles are different from asphalt shingles. I also said that we had our own process for inspecting and planning our roof repairs. He gave me his card. I said I could pass it on to the committee. He pushed and offered to inspect the roof so I could have the results of the inspection for the committee. I told him that we had already had our roof inspected. He wouldn’t give up. He started to tell me that many insurance company roof inspectors don’t know what they are looking at. I gave up trying to reason with the man. I stated that I needed to go back to my meeting and asked him if he needed me to show him the way to the door. He called me a “piece of work,” insulted me further, suggested that we couldn’t trust our insurance company and demanded to speak to the pastor. I informed him that I am the senior minister of the congregation. He proceeded to tell me that I had bad breath. It is possible that he was right in this observation. I informed him that his behavior wasn’t the way to make sales, tore his card in half and deposited it in the wastebasket. I few more insults were hurled over his shoulder on the way out. I don’t know whether or not the guy is a competent roof inspector. He certainly didn’t seem to be a good salesman.
A second fool story: Several people in our congregation have been generous in offering support to a man who lives out of town who seems to be in a bit of a bind. We have delivered firewood and groceries to him to help him survive the harsh winter. Sometimes he calls me on the phone just to talk. Often in our phone conversations he seems to be out of touch with reality. He expresses fears when I can’t believe that he is at risk. The county officials who are trying to do him in do not, I believe actually exist. And I don’t think anyone is out to get him. I try to be calm over the phone and reassuring. He can be a troubling interruption to my busy days and a bit of a nuisance when I have much to do, but I try to be as supportive as I can. He doesn’t do any harm that I can see and I think that it is possible that he is suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, though I’m certainly not qualified to make a diagnosis. Mostly he is a bit silly. I guess it isn’t too foolish for him to talk to me. I wouldn’t intentionally do him any harm.
The third story is similar to the second. I know a man who has done multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan as a member of the US Marine Corps. He is having trouble holding down a job since his discharge and he sometimes speaks or writes e-mail to me about “dangers” and “threats” that I simply cannot perceive. I don’t think that angry Afghan civilians, no matter how devastating the war has been in their country, are targeting our church. I don’t think anyone is spying on my home. I’m pretty sure it is safe for me to walk in my neighborhood at night. I’m pretty sure that the next terrorist attack against Americans won’t single out a Pennington County Sheriff’s Chaplain who drives a 15-year-old Subaru and likes to go canoeing at the lake. But I lend an ear to this veteran and i try to do what I can to help him. I’ve helped him with yard chores and I continue to try to be as kind as possible.
Which brings us to the biggest fool of all: me. Why would I possibly make a distinction between any of the three people mentioned above. Each is trying to make it in this world. None poses any danger or threat to me. Why did I get angry at the first one and seem to have more patience for the other two? I seem to be a bit inconsistent in my approach to people.
For a guy who doesn’t suffer fools gladly, I sure can act like a fool at times.