At Christmas a number of years back, my brother Scott's family gave me several Judge Judy related gifts as in a book she authored and a DVD of some of her memorable cases. I love Judge Judy even though I know she's married. Read below and you may understand why. She can be very harsh, especially with those who take no responsibility for their actions, but at times, we need a wake up call. This is from March 6, 2007.
They say the first step in overcoming a dependency is admitting the addiction. It's not enough to call it a problem: you have to admit what you are. So, I have a confession to make. I'm addicted to Judge Judy. It happened gradually; it usually does. Coming home from school, I would make a bowl of oatmeal and enjoy my snack in front of the TV before taking a short nap. Tuning in to the Houston FOX affiliate, I became enamored with the sixty-five year old retired lawyer/family court judge who runs her kingdom with an iron fist. At first, it was just a minute or two while I ate but the minutes turned into one complete case, then two. Today was typical. I was barely awake and desperately needed to fall asleep but became entranced by several cases and couldn't pull away. Judge Judy is incredible. Dispensing with lawyers, she is in her eleventh season of acting as the arbiter of actual cases in which quarreling parties agree to abide by her rulings. She's like your mother when you got into trouble as a kid. Judge Judy (Judith Sheindlin) is not above throwing out unsolicited advice on romance, child rearing, character, and whatever else comes to her judicially-tuned mind. What I find amazing is how she can tell instantly if one of the witnesses is lying, almost like a human polygraph. She is funny, sarcastic, harsh, fair, and sometimes enlightening on the state of life in this country. I can't break free of her grip. My hope is that our school insurance will cover rehab or at least a support group. I can't go on like this much longer.
We've been talking about rock bottom in my eighth grade Bible classes. Covering Luke 15, we skimmed the parables of The Lost Sheep/The Lost Coin and focused on The Prodigal Son. You know the story. The younger son demands his share of the family goods, conveniently forgetting estates aren't transferred without a death. The father never argues but gives him his foolish desire. Before long, the money is gone, dissipated in what the Bible calls wild living. Enduring the novelty of poverty and famine, the Jewish lad finds himself in the disgraceful position of slopping pigs for a Gentile boss. When he wakes up to his plight, he is confronted by what he left behind. Soberly, he decides to take the long walk home and repent. The father sees him coming down the road and sprints to greet his dead son. The dad will not listen to the apology, instead outfitting the filthy youngster in new clothes and hosting a celebration in his honor, a term the boy's older brother would find unbecoming. There's a happy ending...and an unhappy one in regards to Son #1.
But let's concentrate on the wayward child. As long as he was wining and dining his companions, he would never consider the road that led to his family. He had to become hungry and lonely before he could humble himself. He probably was unsure of his reception but he had no other option on the table. His free fall stopped, he went home. No more excuses, no more indiscretions. This wasn't the same boy who weeks before had flaunted his new freedom and purchasing power. He was on the path to manhood. I read in my hometown newspaper of a man facing jail for alcohol related offenses. When speaking on his own behalf before sentencing, the gentleman explained his crimes were caused by a medical condition. An online medical diagnosis by an untrained teacher/coach tends toward believing he still is on his way to a hard landing. I hope the guy straightens out his life, for his good and that of society, but the prosecuting attorney and the Nebraska judge didn't buy his line of reasoning. I have a suspicion that Judge Judy wouldn't either.
Applicable quote of the day:
"The time to change was yesterday; the time to wake up is now."
Judge Judy
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
http://www.hawleybooks.com/
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
They say the first step in overcoming a dependency is admitting the addiction. It's not enough to call it a problem: you have to admit what you are. So, I have a confession to make. I'm addicted to Judge Judy. It happened gradually; it usually does. Coming home from school, I would make a bowl of oatmeal and enjoy my snack in front of the TV before taking a short nap. Tuning in to the Houston FOX affiliate, I became enamored with the sixty-five year old retired lawyer/family court judge who runs her kingdom with an iron fist. At first, it was just a minute or two while I ate but the minutes turned into one complete case, then two. Today was typical. I was barely awake and desperately needed to fall asleep but became entranced by several cases and couldn't pull away. Judge Judy is incredible. Dispensing with lawyers, she is in her eleventh season of acting as the arbiter of actual cases in which quarreling parties agree to abide by her rulings. She's like your mother when you got into trouble as a kid. Judge Judy (Judith Sheindlin) is not above throwing out unsolicited advice on romance, child rearing, character, and whatever else comes to her judicially-tuned mind. What I find amazing is how she can tell instantly if one of the witnesses is lying, almost like a human polygraph. She is funny, sarcastic, harsh, fair, and sometimes enlightening on the state of life in this country. I can't break free of her grip. My hope is that our school insurance will cover rehab or at least a support group. I can't go on like this much longer.
We've been talking about rock bottom in my eighth grade Bible classes. Covering Luke 15, we skimmed the parables of The Lost Sheep/The Lost Coin and focused on The Prodigal Son. You know the story. The younger son demands his share of the family goods, conveniently forgetting estates aren't transferred without a death. The father never argues but gives him his foolish desire. Before long, the money is gone, dissipated in what the Bible calls wild living. Enduring the novelty of poverty and famine, the Jewish lad finds himself in the disgraceful position of slopping pigs for a Gentile boss. When he wakes up to his plight, he is confronted by what he left behind. Soberly, he decides to take the long walk home and repent. The father sees him coming down the road and sprints to greet his dead son. The dad will not listen to the apology, instead outfitting the filthy youngster in new clothes and hosting a celebration in his honor, a term the boy's older brother would find unbecoming. There's a happy ending...and an unhappy one in regards to Son #1.
But let's concentrate on the wayward child. As long as he was wining and dining his companions, he would never consider the road that led to his family. He had to become hungry and lonely before he could humble himself. He probably was unsure of his reception but he had no other option on the table. His free fall stopped, he went home. No more excuses, no more indiscretions. This wasn't the same boy who weeks before had flaunted his new freedom and purchasing power. He was on the path to manhood. I read in my hometown newspaper of a man facing jail for alcohol related offenses. When speaking on his own behalf before sentencing, the gentleman explained his crimes were caused by a medical condition. An online medical diagnosis by an untrained teacher/coach tends toward believing he still is on his way to a hard landing. I hope the guy straightens out his life, for his good and that of society, but the prosecuting attorney and the Nebraska judge didn't buy his line of reasoning. I have a suspicion that Judge Judy wouldn't either.
Applicable quote of the day:
"The time to change was yesterday; the time to wake up is now."
Judge Judy
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
http://www.hawleybooks.com/
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
1 comment:
At least you can admit your addiction - many watch but won't admit to it.
Kyle tells me that I haven't posted enough lately - I HAVE been reading though.
You never gave us the results of Ugo's marathon.
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