I don't like the phrase "on the right side of the grass".
I'm in my 60s now and a lot of times I still fall into the trap of after saying hello to somebody asking "how are you?" it's such a shallow question and I'm trying to break the habit but it's so hard because it's so prevalent. But when somebody says "I'm on the right side of the grass" it just freaks me out! All I can think is that the person is so focused on death that I need to get away from them.
It just seems so negative, and after having so much doom thinking and negativity in my brain for so long because I lived under the gun for most of my life, I just don't like it.
I remember when I was leaving the training class in Oklahoma City after making it through air traffic controller training and the follow-on training. And this big redneck dude told me as I was headed out to my car to drive home, "keep it between the hedges". The rest of the trip that I drove for 16 hours on, I was so focused on those lines on the highway that it was amazing.
I don't know if that's my suggestibility or if that's a flaw in my thinking, but I fell for that big time. And so when others around me focus on the turd in whatever we're doing or talking about, my lasers get focused. And then my comments become very clear about the shape and the smell and the irritating position of and all the other things associated with the turd.
I'm slowly learning to focus on the other things like gratitude, thankfulness, availability, presence, possibility of these from where we are instead of negative outcomes. But it's a challenge when surrounded by so much negativity.
Thank you God for my freedom!
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