Trish Hermanson's Blog: Croutons - Seasoned Bits of Life, page 12

Why Go Caroling with Prostitutes?

When my friend Mandie went Christmas caroling on the seamy side of town, a group of prostitutes joined in. “They knew their carols well,” she told me.
I wonder if Jesus went caroling today, would he head for the prostitutes and other low-lifes? I think so. In his day, he shunned people who were satisfied with themselves and their accomplishments. Instead, he hung out with those who hungered for something more than what their lives measured up to.
I’m not satisfied with life on...

The MIA Wiseman Finally Shows Up!

I’m showing my new grandson Judah the wiseman who has been missing in action from our nativity scene for nearly four decades. When I inherited this manger scene from my parents, the third wiseman had disappeared, probably having taken a tumble and ending up in the trashcan. So Duane and I raised our daughters with only two magi coming to worship the newborn Jesus.
Then this year when we set up the scene, a third wiseman suddenly showed up next to the other two. No one in our family...

How to Avoid the Dump

You’d think I’d learn not to stand directly under a tree when I shake heavy snow off limbs. But no, I position myself under the branches and end up getting dumped upon. Something similar happens to me if I’m not careful when others unload their burdens on me. All their misery dumps like heavy snow. So when I’m helping others shake loose their woes, I try to remind myself to come alongside and not stand directly under their angst. Otherwise, they walk away relieved, while I’m burdened...

My Old Friend Took a Tumble

My old friend Terry took a tumble that left all of us - including him - speechless. Terry was like a big brother to me when we were teenagers, an affable guy always quick with words. Three years ahead of me in school, he pursued a degree in journalism, and when I reached the same college, I did, too.
I was shocked when I heard Terry tripped down a flight of stairs and suffered a traumatic brain injury. After four hours of surgery, he struggled to communicate. He had trouble finding...

Mr. Rogers, Make Believe & My Family

     It seems like only yesterday that our girls lived in Mr. Rogers’ land of make believe, and now Tom Hanks is portraying the TV icon in a movie. Mr. Rogers was a hero in our household. I remember when our youngest was just two and her emotions exploded. She stomped upstairs, stood on the landing, and announced, “I hate everybody! I even hate Mr. Rogers!” She marched into her bedroom and slammed the door.  
      She quickly emerged with shame on her face and a whisper in her voice. “I...

Learning to Put Down the Ducky

     My grandson Joel showed me his collection of rubber duckies, and I confess: as an adult I once bought a rubber ducky when life was overwhelming and I needed a squeaky little friend for security.    
     Which is why I smiled when I heard that “Sesame Street” is celebrating its fiftieth birthday. This PBS gem gave my girls and me songs for all occasions when they were little. Like singing “C Is for Cookie” while pulling steaming morsels out of the oven. Or belting out Oscar the Grouch’...

How Did God Become a Swear Word?

     Why did we start to say “Oh my God” as an exclamation of shock or surprise, rather than invoking something like “Oh my Gordon” or “Oh my Gladys”? Is it because we don’t believe in him, so what does it matter? But if God doesn’t exist, why use his name as the most powerful word there is to express shock or surprise? And why say “MY God,” claiming God is yours if he doesn’t exist?       
     Here’s another oddity.   We say “God damn” to express anger. Are we asking God to condem...

Our Excuse to Go Cuckoo

     Twice each year we have the perfect excuse to go cuckoo.     
     To crash our cars. Or injure ourselves on the job. Or cyberloaf at work. Or develop a debilitating headache that lasts for weeks.     All these incidents increase when we go on or off Daylight Saving Time. That’s because when we reset our digital clocks, our internal clocks go haywire. Adjusting can take weeks because our circadian rhythm - the natural process that regulates the sleeping-waking cycle - doesn’t like to be me...

Pat Showed Me How to Live and How to Die

     My friend Pat showed me how to live and how to die. I met her in a women’s study group, where Pat impressed me that she was committed to BE INVOLVED all her life. She dressed smartly, completed her assignments, and was always the first to answer questions.     
     Then the cancers she’d fought for fifteen years caught up with her. When doctors told her she had three months to live, Pat kept her PRIORITIES. A friend asked her how her life would change. “Why should it? I’m still listeni...

Getting to the Bottom of this Outhouse

     How weird to spot this outhouse on a lot next to an upscale home in my Denver metro neighborhood. Why is it there? So like the investigative reporter I once was, I decide to get to the bottom of it.     
     I step inside the funky barbecue joint that sits in front of the outhouse. The aroma of smoked meat wafts over me as I ask questions. An employee wipes his hands on his black apron and points to a tattered photo on a tack board, a picture of the building with handwriting scr...