Does it make you sad when you lose an old friend? It sure does me. Several years ago I lost an old friend who was also one of my best friends. His name was Bob Gannaway. Bob was my Dale Carnegie instructor, later my business partner, hunting and fishing buddy, someone I could always count on and one who could keep a confidence. Good friends like this do not come along very often and I sure do miss him.
What brought this remembrance of Bob to mind was something a reader sent me a few days ago. It was titled simply “Obituary Notice” and it begins:
“Today we mourn the passing of an old friend. His name is Common Sense. Common Sense lived a long life, but died of heart failure at the brink of the millennium. No one really knows how old he was since his birth records were lost in bureaucratic red tape. He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools, hospitals, factories and offices, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness.
“For decades, petty rules, silly laws and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to know when to come in out of the rain, the early bird gets the worm, and life isn’t always fair. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies: ‘Don’t spend more than you earn’; reliable parenting strategies, ‘The adults are in charge, not the kids’; and ‘It’s OK to come in second.’
“A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression and the Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived cultural and educational trends including feminism, body piercing, whole language and ‘new math.’ But his health declined when he became infected with the ‘If-it-only-helps-one-person-it’s-worth-it’ virus. In recent decades his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of overbearing federal regulation. He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers and enlightened auditors.
“His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero tolerance policies, reports of 6-year-old boys charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate, to when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student but cannot inform the parent when the female student is pregnant and wants an abortion. Finally, Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treatment than victims, and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from Boy Scouts to professional sports.
“Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust; his wife Discretion; his daughter Responsibility; and his son Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers, Rights, Tolerance and Whiner. Not many attended his funeral evidently because so few realized he was gone.”
Well, that’s the end of it, but what a message for all of us to ponder. This should cause every logical, rational and sound-thinking American to step back, take a second look and think about where our nation is going.
There is one thing for sure: millions of people in this country do not have a college degree but have plenty of common sense. In today’s times this is something of which we could all stand a lot more. While it may be bad theology, what we really need is an early “resurrection” of this old friend who has stood by us all those years. My special thanks to Bob & Nadine Mong and Dick & Val Widen for sharing this with us.
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(Editor’s Note: This is one of the columns in Jim’s new book “Better than the Best.” For a personally signed copy, send $20 (includes postage and handling) to Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034).