Court jesters

I had a very good friend back in the early seventies who managed to quit smoking and lose fifty pounds.  It was very difficult for him and I knew it then, but I remembered it when ten years later I quit smoking and gained fifty pounds.

After spending all those agonizing months achieving this, this man, who did amazing things for a whole congregation, had to have emergency gallbladder surgery and died a few days later.  My first thought upon hearing of his death was how sad it was that his last months on earth were spent suffering to be healthier only to end this way.

Sometimes I think I forget about the important things in life.  Society bombards us with a constant barrage of messages to lose weight, lower our blood pressure, lower our cholesterol, etc. -- mostly through advertisements meant to make somebody else richer by selling us something.  And I have both lived with and know people who believe if you look good you are a better person, but . . .

I can't think of one person who is truly important to me in any way that I care how much they weigh, or what they wear, or how much money they have -- all those things we pay exhorbitant amounts of money to people in the media for being. 

It is great that the court jesters of today are paid so fabulously, but we need to remember they are here to entertain us and that while a healthy life style is good, a productive, happy one might be better. 

The true walking dead are the zombies of today whose self esteem is rotting away due to false values that hide hearts glowing with goodwill and love.