Reclaiming Joy

Discovering A Better Life
P.O Box 1540, Albany Western Australia 6331
Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418 418
E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

RECLAIMING JOY
I’ve always loved the character of Samuel Johnson, the British writer and lexicographer. He had a marvellous personality and was one of the most brilliant individuals in recent human history. Samuel Johnson was a man who knew how to have a good time. He was a big man-I mean he weighed over 150 kilograms. But he never learned, with all his brilliance, and all his writing of dictionaries, he never learned to tie his shoes. He never really learned how to match up his socks. Never learned how to dress properly. Historians say he was one of the sloppiest characters imaginable. But he became very, very famous. One day the great, famous man stood at the top of a little grassy knoll with some dignitaries and friends, and, all of a sudden, he began to empty his pockets. The people around him began to think, “What on earth is the great Dr. Johnson going to do?” And before anybody can ask him, he just lies right down on the grass and rolls down the hill. When he gets up, he says, “You know, it has been years since I’ve done that!” Friend, the ability to laugh at ourselves - this is so important! Sometime later, Dr. Johnson visited his boyhood home, which by then had become a famous place. Now, the people who were living there at the time heard that Dr. Johnson was coming, so they spent considerable time in tidying the place up and then waited for his arrival. Around the yard of the house was a big fence. And the lady of the house looked out of the window and saw, on the other side of that fence and several metres beyond, the famous Dr. Johnson. Again, he was emptying his pockets and he was looking intently at the fence. But before the lady of the house could do anything, here he came, all 150, plus, kilograms, hurdling into the air and leaping up over that fence. When he landed, he went rolling in the grass on the other side. When she saw this, the lady of the house ran out to him and said, “Dr. Johnson, Dr. Johnson, there is a gate!” “Oh, I know there is a gate,” he said, “but I used to jump that fence as a child and I wondered if I still could.” Friend, as you think about those amazing incidents I’ve just shared with you, I want to encourage you to ask yourself, what was Dr. Johnson doing when he lay on the grass and rolled down the hill, and when he jumped the fence and rolled in the grass? Well, the answer is, he was reclaiming joy, as he relived some joyous moments of his youth. Perhaps you and I ought to think about doing more things like that. I’m sure it would do each of us a lot of good! And, as I wrote earlier friend, the ability to laugh at ourselves - is so important! Thanks for taking the time to read what I’ve written today. I look forward to sharing more thoughts with you. However, if you would like to write to me with your comments, questions, or suggestions, I’d be pleased to hear from you. Email me or write to me at P.O Box 1540, Albany W.A 6331. Telephone / Fax (08) 98 418 418 Have a great day! -- Ron

RECLAIMING JOY

I’ve always loved the character of Samuel Johnson, the British writer and lexicographer. He had a marvellous personality and was one of the most brilliant individuals in recent human history. Samuel Johnson was a man who knew how to have a good time. He was a big man-I mean he weighed over 150 kilograms. But he never learned, with all his brilliance, and all his writing of dictionaries, he never learned to tie his shoes. He never really learned how to match up his socks. Never learned how to dress properly. Historians say he was one of the sloppiest characters imaginable. But he became very, very famous.

One day the great, famous man stood at the top of a little grassy knoll with some dignitaries and friends, and, all of a sudden, he began to empty his pockets. The people around him began to think, “What on earth is the great Dr. Johnson going to do?” And before anybody can ask him, he just lies right down on the grass and rolls down the hill. When he gets up, he says, “You know, it has been years since I’ve done that!”

Friend, the ability to laugh at ourselves - this is so important!

Sometime later, Dr. Johnson visited his boyhood home, which by then had become a famous place. Now, the people who were living there at the time heard that Dr. Johnson was coming, so they spent considerable time in tidying the place up and then waited for his arrival. Around the yard of the house was a big fence. And the lady of the house looked out of the window and saw, on the other side of that fence and several metres beyond, the famous Dr. Johnson. Again, he was emptying his pockets and he was looking intently at the fence. But before the lady of the house could do anything, here he came, all 150, plus, kilograms, hurdling into the air and leaping up over that fence. When he landed, he went rolling in the grass on the other side. When she saw this, the lady of the house ran out to him and said, “Dr. Johnson, Dr. Johnson, there is a gate!” “Oh, I know there is a gate,” he said, “but I used to jump that fence as a child and I wondered if I still could.”

Friend, as you think about those amazing incidents I’ve just shared with you, I want to encourage you to ask yourself, what was Dr. Johnson doing when he lay on the grass and rolled down the hill, and when he jumped the fence and rolled in the grass? Well, the answer is, he was reclaiming joy, as he relived some joyous moments of his youth. Perhaps you and I ought to think about doing more things like that. I’m sure it would do each of us a lot of good!

And, as I wrote earlier friend, the ability to laugh at ourselves - is so important!

Thanks for taking the time to read what I’ve written today. I look forward to sharing more thoughts with you. However, if you would like to write to me with your comments, questions, or suggestions, I’d be pleased to hear from you.

Email me
or write to me at
P.O Box 1540,
Albany W.A 6331.

Telephone / Fax (08) 98 418 418

Have a great day! -- Ron