I grew up hearing the phrase “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” It’s a bit of wisdom that rings true for me.
To illustrate, one of my favorite TV shows back in the day was Sanford and Son. Fred, the father and principal owner, referred to their business as “the Empire,” while Lamont just called it the junkyard.
See? For one, it was a treasure; for the other, it was junk.
I still laugh when I remember the hijinks of Fred and company. Some who read this may not know what I am referring to, but it is worth your time to find the old show and laugh a little.
Fred to his sister-in-law, Esther: “I could stick your face in some dough and make some gorilla cookies!”
Esther to Fred: “Unholy Sinner & Heathenish Foul Philistine.”
Fred to Esther: “You’re the only person I know who goes to church and the collection plate hides from you.”
Esther to Fred: “Fish-eyed Fool.”
I recognize that many old shows wouldn’t pass the censors in our current politically correct environment. If you are ultra-sensitive, Archie Bunker and company, along with the Jeffersons, would probably send you over the edge. Me thinks we’ve largely lost our ability to recognize our own foolishness or to laugh at ourselves—and that’s a shame.
Junk versus treasure applies to the kinds of TV and movies we like. I suspect some of what I might enjoy would be junk to you, and vice versa.
In my case, we are about to enter full-blown junk season. And yes, I am going to offend some folks, including she-who-must-not-be-named. It’s that time of year when we unfortunately trade action movies and shows (and maybe even sacrifice a football game or two) for Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies.
Here’s the predominate plot in two sentences: A girl travels home from the big city to her small town for Christmas. Along the way, her big-city boyfriend—the rich guy with the fancy car and a big career—gets replaced by the flannel-shirt-wearing, blue-collar guy from her past.
Another cliché that’s true? “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!” I recognize that my sweet wife finds great value in the Christmas-movie genre, plot notwithstanding. I bow to her preferences for several reasons. First, she more than deserves to watch the movies she chooses, especially given how many football games she sees and hears blaring from the living room. Second, I hope to stay in her good graces and convince her that we really do need to buy a classic Corvette—preferably a 1976 Stingray.
But that’s a story for another day. In the meantime, y’all pray for me, Hallmark and Lifetime, here I come!
“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:10 NIV)
Les Ferguson, Jr. is a minister and faith-based author. He can be reached at lfergusonjr@gmail.com
