Me and my
big mouth
By Jan Penton Miller
To laugh with and share with my friends, especially Christian friends who pray for
me behind my back is a huge blessing. They just make life better.
This week our water day fell on July 4 th . The next day Debbie was getting her room
ready for Bible School, and I met Kathy at another pool for water aerobics. I hadn’t
been there at all this year although I do have a membership so I had lots of people to
catch up with.
By the time I made my way across the pool talking to folks along the way I had
gotten the attention of the instructor. She obviously doesn’t share my belief that
conversation is almost as good for the body as exercise, or that they can be
accomplished simultaneously.
She pointedly corrected my form quite a few times as the class progressed.
I really did try to do all the exercises correctly, but I was having such a lovely time
talking that my efforts did not measure up to her expectations.
When I got across the pool to where Kathy and several other ladies I knew were,
naturally I had to at least acknowledge them with a few words of greeting.
By this time the instructor started calling me out by name. There is no way she could
have noticed what all the people in the pool were doing. Her eagle eyes were on me!
She seemed to scrutinize every move I made under her intense laser focused gaze
until the fun wore off.
Before I knew what happened my mouth engaged. By the time my brain caught up I
realized that I had responded with a smart aleck somewhat cutting remark.
The instructor may have been a little more zealous than I would have wanted, but
there is no need for any of us to be rude even in jest. If I listen to her instructions
more closely in the future I may even be able to have a cookie once in a while.
Now I need to apologize for my big mouth. I wonder if it counts if she reads this. I’m
thinking maybe not.