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Consider this quote from Abe Lincoln
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
I was one of the assorted folks who needed a few last minute gifts on Saturday and I ventured into Des Moines, where I found exactly what I thought I would. Everywhere I went I found crowds of impatient people all trying to get their own last minute shopping wrapped up. The more I became involved in this dance of wait, step forward one step and wait some more while watching people cut in front of me, the more irritated I got at the entire situation. Now the last thing anyone needs to be two days before Christmas is placed in a scrooge mood but my own dislike for crowds and rudeness was starting to get the best of me.
As I left one store with one more to go Bing Crosby came on the radio and began to sing White Christmas and although I wasn’t really paying close attention I did notice that there are parts where he whistles the song and it made me remember being a young lad and my Grandpa Max whistling. He often whistled a tune and I have often thought that it is something you don’t really hear anymore. The whistles I’m most used to hearing are the ones that I can make, the cat call, or that one that has its own shrill tone that is given off by the drunk guy who is sitting behind you at the football game.
Hearing the melodic whistle of a tune settled my nerves and left me in a much better mood. It was like it was my own little reminder to slow down and not get so wound up about what was going on around me. I didn’t need to be anywhere in a hurry so why was I letting the events around me determine the course of my day? I left the final store as an elderly gentleman was walking in from the parking lot and he was whistling as well. Point clearly taken Grandpa, thanks for the reminder. See you next week…remember, we’re all in this together.