Fun
Stories
Lightly Goes the Good News
Scripture Stories For Reflection
"It's my turn now. I've had to put up with a lot of crap over the years, but now that Junior's home he can take over." Ralph was simultaneously removing moth balls and shoving whatever clothes were within reach into his suitcase on the bed. The wide-eyed servant listened in astonishment as Ralph continued. "Do you know how many years I've had to listen to Daddy talk about Junior?" Ralph stopped packing momentarily as he shouted at the servant.
"Well, I...." the servant tried to answer.
"More years than I can remember! And do you know how many years we kept an empty plate at the table?"
"Well, I...."
"More years than I care to remember." Ralph was thoroughly worked up. "But now I'm going to live it up. Oh, yes, I am! I guess you've already gathered that, haven't you? Why else would I be wearing these outrageous clothes? You've never seen me with a plaid shirt, plaid pants, and plaid shoes before, have you? Or sporting really outlandish looking suspenders, have you?" Ralph snapped his multi-colored suspenders and strutted back and forth in front of the servant.
"Well, no," the servant had to confess. Ralph's ensemble was quite a switch from the bib overalls, the large straw hat, and army boots the servant was accustomed to see Ralph wearing. He wanted to add that he hadn't heard shoes squeak as loudly as Ralph's plaid shoes did whenever Ralph made the slightest move.
"No, you've never seen me dressed outrageously, and you certainly haven't ever seen me act outrageously. Not ole Ralph. Oh, no! I've done everything according to the book ... fed the cattle, milked the cows, taken care of the chickens, and everything else I was told to do. But that's over. Now it's fun time. F-U-N. Junior is home. So let Junior take over." Ralph wrestled his suitcase to the floor and knelt on it to secure the latches. No sooner had he finished than someone was knocking at the bedroom door. "Who is it?"
"It's Daddy." Ralph motioned the servant to open the door. A little man with a long white beard stood in the doorway.
"Is that a new bedroom outfit you're wearing or are you modeling some new drapes I don't know about?" the old man wisecracked.
Ralph ignored the old man's disparaging remarks. "Look, Daddy, I know what you're here for. But I'm not changing my mind."
"Reconsider, son. You know all I have is yours. Really."
"I've heard that line before, Daddy. It didn't work then and it isn't going to work now. I want what is mine to be all mine now!" Ralph's words sounded vaguely familiar.
"And I think I've heard that line before too," the old man quickly added.
"Junior said that, not me," Ralph reminded him.
"Maybe we can sit down and talk it over," the old man pleaded.
"No, no, no," Ralph insisted.
"What do you think you're going to do when you leave here?" the old man wondered.
"I'm going to have fun."
"F-U-N," the servant unintentionally blurted out and immediately brought his hand to his mouth. "Sorry, sir," he said as both men glowered at him.
"I've never had any fun. But now I'm going to live it up. Just like Junior did." Ralph's eyes shown wild as he spoke.
"But you don't like fun. You never have. You've always wanted to work. When you and Junior were kids, I wanted you to play and have fun. Do you know what you said whenever I encouraged you to play?" The old man shook his head recalling Ralph's response.
"No," Ralph puzzled.
" 'I wanna work. I don't wanna play and have fun.' "
"Well, now I'm going to make up for lost time. He had fun. So now I'm going to have fun even if it kills me. Fun, fun...."
"F-U-N," the servant broke in a second time and once more brought his hand to his mouth as the two men glared at him.
"Okay, son. Go ahead." The old man relented.
"Do you mean it?"
"Sure. Go on and have your fun. By the way, Ralph, what's the first fun thing you're going to do?" the old man feigned disinterest.
"The first fun thing ... um." Ralph brought his hand to his forehead. He hadn't thought far enough in advance to determine what the very first fun thing was he would do. "The first fun thing I'm going to do is ... live it up with loose women." Ralph beamed.
"Loose women?" The servant rushed his hand to his mouth to prevent himself from laughing.
"Loose women?" the old man repeated. He too tried to stifle a laugh by pretending to cough.
"Yes, loose women. What's so funny about that?" Ralph looked from the servant to his father and back again. The servant began to open his mouth but then decided he had better let the old man handle this one.
"What are you going to do with loose women, son?" the old man said as he stroked his beard.
"What does anyone do with loose women?" Ralph shot back. "Loosen them up more, of course!"
The servant immediately grabbed his handkerchief and immediately shoved it into his mouth to muffle another laugh. Ralph took a few steps towards the servant. However the squeak, squeak of his shoes momentarily caught them all off guard as they listened intently to the alien sound. The servant signaled to Ralph by pointing to Ralph's shoes. Ralph muttered, "Thanks," under his breath as he tried to recall what he had just said.
"And what else are you going to do, son?" the old man asked slyly. "Besides loosening up women, that is?"
"Get debauched," Ralph mumbled.
"What was that?" the old man cupped a hand to his ear.
"Get debauched," Ralph repeated uncomfortably.
"Debauched?"
"Yes, debauched, just like Junior got debauched." Ralph was determined he would get every bit as debauched as his younger brother had.
"And how are you going to debauch yourself?" Once more the old man challenged him.
"How? How does anyone get debauched?" Ralph was now flailing his arms in the air as he searched frantically for an answer, like a drowning man thrashing for a life preserver.
The servant's hand shot up with the confidence of someone who knew firsthand what it meant to be debauched.
"I know," he waved.
"Forget it. Forget it." Ralph dismissed the servant's offer of help. "But you can all be sure of this much," Ralph said slowly and deliberately. "However I get debauched, I am going to have fun, fun, fun. I'm going to have fun if it kills me. I deserve it and you're not going to stop me," he said defiantly.
"Son, if you want to have fun, you go ahead. Loosen all the women you want and get debauched. I can't stop you. I wouldn't want to stop you. Nor have I ever tried to stop you from having fun. I just want you to know that Junior and I will be here if you decide to come back home. And when you get back we'll have a party that'll knock your socks off. You'll have more fun than you ever bargained for."
Ralph's mouth dropped open. "Really? You really mean it?"
"Of course I do." The old man's eyes twinkled.
Ralph scratched his head, squeaked his way to the window and peered out into the distance beyond the farm. After several seconds, he turned and faced the old man. "I'm not sure I want to leave here at all, Daddy. I was wondering...." He hesitated, then continued, "Could we have a homecoming party now without my having to go away?"
The old man's eyes teared up. He looked for a minute at his son, then turning to the servant he said: "Quick! Bring out the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Take the fatted calf and kill it. Let us eat and celebrate because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life. He was lost and is found."
Then the celebration began and ... did they have fun!
Reflection
"Try to enjoy yourself" is harmless advice if it isn't taken seriously. However, if it is directed at people who are always trying to do something, it can be dangerous. To try is to "work at" and how can a person work at enjoying? It is a contradiction just as trying to do nothing and trying to relax are contradictions. Still, we pursue contradictions with an erstwhileness that is remarkable.
We read in "Fun" that Ralph is intent on having fun as Junior did. Undoubtedly, Ralph resents his younger brother who expresses the playful side of himself which Ralph has never lived out. Daddy reminds Ralph of his chronic need to be working. Given that addiction, how can he now have fun? "Living it up with loose women" and "getting debauched" are new work projects Ralph will undertake, not occasions for having fun! When Ralph goes on the road, he will be dragging his work bench along with him. In this respect he isn't unlike tennis players, golfers, joggers, etc., who are deadly serious and grimly determined to enjoy themselves.
Can Ralph get out of his bind? Can we, as we try to enjoy, relax, not worry, etc.? Ralph's saving moment is being caught off guard by Daddy's offer of a party. Ralph is disarmed and moved because the party will happen whether he leaves home or not. Not only doesn't he have to do something to enjoy himself, he is unable to try to do anything! Daddy's gracious offer catches him off guard and in that instant joy happens.
Moments of joy like moments of relaxation happen; we can't produce or force them. But we can become aware and savor them when we are caught off guard. Of course we may continue with our old habit of working to duplicate or manufacture similar moments of joy. But we only discover once again that it is in the moment when we are disarmed and caught off guard again they can "happen" to us at all.
What does all this tell us about trying to pray or trying to have faith? Does it tell us we ought not to assume sole responsibility for carrying the burden of being a person of prayer and faith? That, like moments of joy, prayer and faith happen to us and are given as gifts, not as something earned by trying hard.
"Well, I...." the servant tried to answer.
"More years than I can remember! And do you know how many years we kept an empty plate at the table?"
"Well, I...."
"More years than I care to remember." Ralph was thoroughly worked up. "But now I'm going to live it up. Oh, yes, I am! I guess you've already gathered that, haven't you? Why else would I be wearing these outrageous clothes? You've never seen me with a plaid shirt, plaid pants, and plaid shoes before, have you? Or sporting really outlandish looking suspenders, have you?" Ralph snapped his multi-colored suspenders and strutted back and forth in front of the servant.
"Well, no," the servant had to confess. Ralph's ensemble was quite a switch from the bib overalls, the large straw hat, and army boots the servant was accustomed to see Ralph wearing. He wanted to add that he hadn't heard shoes squeak as loudly as Ralph's plaid shoes did whenever Ralph made the slightest move.
"No, you've never seen me dressed outrageously, and you certainly haven't ever seen me act outrageously. Not ole Ralph. Oh, no! I've done everything according to the book ... fed the cattle, milked the cows, taken care of the chickens, and everything else I was told to do. But that's over. Now it's fun time. F-U-N. Junior is home. So let Junior take over." Ralph wrestled his suitcase to the floor and knelt on it to secure the latches. No sooner had he finished than someone was knocking at the bedroom door. "Who is it?"
"It's Daddy." Ralph motioned the servant to open the door. A little man with a long white beard stood in the doorway.
"Is that a new bedroom outfit you're wearing or are you modeling some new drapes I don't know about?" the old man wisecracked.
Ralph ignored the old man's disparaging remarks. "Look, Daddy, I know what you're here for. But I'm not changing my mind."
"Reconsider, son. You know all I have is yours. Really."
"I've heard that line before, Daddy. It didn't work then and it isn't going to work now. I want what is mine to be all mine now!" Ralph's words sounded vaguely familiar.
"And I think I've heard that line before too," the old man quickly added.
"Junior said that, not me," Ralph reminded him.
"Maybe we can sit down and talk it over," the old man pleaded.
"No, no, no," Ralph insisted.
"What do you think you're going to do when you leave here?" the old man wondered.
"I'm going to have fun."
"F-U-N," the servant unintentionally blurted out and immediately brought his hand to his mouth. "Sorry, sir," he said as both men glowered at him.
"I've never had any fun. But now I'm going to live it up. Just like Junior did." Ralph's eyes shown wild as he spoke.
"But you don't like fun. You never have. You've always wanted to work. When you and Junior were kids, I wanted you to play and have fun. Do you know what you said whenever I encouraged you to play?" The old man shook his head recalling Ralph's response.
"No," Ralph puzzled.
" 'I wanna work. I don't wanna play and have fun.' "
"Well, now I'm going to make up for lost time. He had fun. So now I'm going to have fun even if it kills me. Fun, fun...."
"F-U-N," the servant broke in a second time and once more brought his hand to his mouth as the two men glared at him.
"Okay, son. Go ahead." The old man relented.
"Do you mean it?"
"Sure. Go on and have your fun. By the way, Ralph, what's the first fun thing you're going to do?" the old man feigned disinterest.
"The first fun thing ... um." Ralph brought his hand to his forehead. He hadn't thought far enough in advance to determine what the very first fun thing was he would do. "The first fun thing I'm going to do is ... live it up with loose women." Ralph beamed.
"Loose women?" The servant rushed his hand to his mouth to prevent himself from laughing.
"Loose women?" the old man repeated. He too tried to stifle a laugh by pretending to cough.
"Yes, loose women. What's so funny about that?" Ralph looked from the servant to his father and back again. The servant began to open his mouth but then decided he had better let the old man handle this one.
"What are you going to do with loose women, son?" the old man said as he stroked his beard.
"What does anyone do with loose women?" Ralph shot back. "Loosen them up more, of course!"
The servant immediately grabbed his handkerchief and immediately shoved it into his mouth to muffle another laugh. Ralph took a few steps towards the servant. However the squeak, squeak of his shoes momentarily caught them all off guard as they listened intently to the alien sound. The servant signaled to Ralph by pointing to Ralph's shoes. Ralph muttered, "Thanks," under his breath as he tried to recall what he had just said.
"And what else are you going to do, son?" the old man asked slyly. "Besides loosening up women, that is?"
"Get debauched," Ralph mumbled.
"What was that?" the old man cupped a hand to his ear.
"Get debauched," Ralph repeated uncomfortably.
"Debauched?"
"Yes, debauched, just like Junior got debauched." Ralph was determined he would get every bit as debauched as his younger brother had.
"And how are you going to debauch yourself?" Once more the old man challenged him.
"How? How does anyone get debauched?" Ralph was now flailing his arms in the air as he searched frantically for an answer, like a drowning man thrashing for a life preserver.
The servant's hand shot up with the confidence of someone who knew firsthand what it meant to be debauched.
"I know," he waved.
"Forget it. Forget it." Ralph dismissed the servant's offer of help. "But you can all be sure of this much," Ralph said slowly and deliberately. "However I get debauched, I am going to have fun, fun, fun. I'm going to have fun if it kills me. I deserve it and you're not going to stop me," he said defiantly.
"Son, if you want to have fun, you go ahead. Loosen all the women you want and get debauched. I can't stop you. I wouldn't want to stop you. Nor have I ever tried to stop you from having fun. I just want you to know that Junior and I will be here if you decide to come back home. And when you get back we'll have a party that'll knock your socks off. You'll have more fun than you ever bargained for."
Ralph's mouth dropped open. "Really? You really mean it?"
"Of course I do." The old man's eyes twinkled.
Ralph scratched his head, squeaked his way to the window and peered out into the distance beyond the farm. After several seconds, he turned and faced the old man. "I'm not sure I want to leave here at all, Daddy. I was wondering...." He hesitated, then continued, "Could we have a homecoming party now without my having to go away?"
The old man's eyes teared up. He looked for a minute at his son, then turning to the servant he said: "Quick! Bring out the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Take the fatted calf and kill it. Let us eat and celebrate because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life. He was lost and is found."
Then the celebration began and ... did they have fun!
Reflection
"Try to enjoy yourself" is harmless advice if it isn't taken seriously. However, if it is directed at people who are always trying to do something, it can be dangerous. To try is to "work at" and how can a person work at enjoying? It is a contradiction just as trying to do nothing and trying to relax are contradictions. Still, we pursue contradictions with an erstwhileness that is remarkable.
We read in "Fun" that Ralph is intent on having fun as Junior did. Undoubtedly, Ralph resents his younger brother who expresses the playful side of himself which Ralph has never lived out. Daddy reminds Ralph of his chronic need to be working. Given that addiction, how can he now have fun? "Living it up with loose women" and "getting debauched" are new work projects Ralph will undertake, not occasions for having fun! When Ralph goes on the road, he will be dragging his work bench along with him. In this respect he isn't unlike tennis players, golfers, joggers, etc., who are deadly serious and grimly determined to enjoy themselves.
Can Ralph get out of his bind? Can we, as we try to enjoy, relax, not worry, etc.? Ralph's saving moment is being caught off guard by Daddy's offer of a party. Ralph is disarmed and moved because the party will happen whether he leaves home or not. Not only doesn't he have to do something to enjoy himself, he is unable to try to do anything! Daddy's gracious offer catches him off guard and in that instant joy happens.
Moments of joy like moments of relaxation happen; we can't produce or force them. But we can become aware and savor them when we are caught off guard. Of course we may continue with our old habit of working to duplicate or manufacture similar moments of joy. But we only discover once again that it is in the moment when we are disarmed and caught off guard again they can "happen" to us at all.
What does all this tell us about trying to pray or trying to have faith? Does it tell us we ought not to assume sole responsibility for carrying the burden of being a person of prayer and faith? That, like moments of joy, prayer and faith happen to us and are given as gifts, not as something earned by trying hard.
