Goofballs, Bullies and The Rest of Us

Ever wonder why goofballs walk this earth? You know them, not a serious thought in their head for more than fifty-eight seconds at a time. They believe that life is a playground, and they need to enjoy each and every ride that exists. And taking on a serious role, where they have to act the part of the heavy? “Not happening, dude! That’s not the way I roll!” But we absolutely love having them in our lives, anyway. They have the ability to bring light and laughter wherever they go.

Why are they here? When there is so much at stake? When children are being abused, nations are being plundered, and countless people are losing everything they have worked for years to acquire. What is their contribution to help this hurting world?

Well, first of all, ain’t none of our business why God decided to make that particular version of His creation. I do believe He knows what He is doing, and He can make sense of it all.

But, if I had to hazard a guess, and believe me it is only a guess, it would be this:

What if everyone on earth were exactly like you or me in personality? Oh my. Just the thought makes me cringe. What if all of us were absent-minded, or serious to a fault, or perfectionists that drive everyone to want to drink, or legalists, or complainers, or any other personality we see. We would quickly drive each other up the wall, or life would get very boring, and a lot of work would never get done.

We need each other. Warts and all. Every kind of person is essential to our life on earth. (Well, excepting homicidal sociopaths, I refuse to believe those kinds of traits are essential.)

There is the Sanguine – who rarely meets a stranger. Fun and outgoing, but can be impulsive and spontaneous at the worst possible time. The Melancholy – a creative type, but also prone to worry and angst. Then the Phlegmatic – agreeable, steady minded, considerate, warm, but with a tendency be a wee bit dramatic. And the Choleric – brave and ambitious, but also can be bossy, deceitful, irritable and a tad violent. The Supine – sweet and quiet, but gets their feelings hurt very easily. And then there is all the rest of us, a mixture and blend of these major temperaments.

Together we are a big ol’ melting pot of people, with every trait, ability, strength, fault and need you can imagine. Every person is needed. Just the way the Creator intended, I have to believe.

So, what do you do when the one next to you is being irritating? Just sigh, hold your tongue and take a moment to try to imagine everyone approaching life just like you. (That’s enough to make you work a little harder to appreciate that co-worker whose stomping on your last nerve.)