Along a busy highway in middle Georgia there is fruit stand that I pass by when I go home to visit my daddy and family. This particular one sells peaches. At least I think so. The sign literally read, “Peches.” I assume during the fall the merchants sell “bold p-nuts.” I found a picture of this peach stand on Reddit, along with the caption, “This pech sure is good. But it tastes like it is missing something.”
There is nothing like a spelling error, or a grammatical mistake, or a blunder in speech, to make one feel a bit smug and superior. Whenever I pass that peach stand I cannot help but think, “Just how dumb are they?” Reflecting a bit more on this beloved “Pech Stand,” I realize this is not fair for at least two reasons. First, the misspelling could be intentional. A passer-by looks twice and just might wheel in to buy a bushel of “peches.” Ah the beauty of marketing! Secondly, what if it is a genuine mistake? I make plenty of them. I am sure there are mistakes in this article and before the day is past (passed? pass? oh, never mind!) I will make many more.
I have never thought of myself as superior to others, but if I am being completely honest I generally assume that I am politically smarter than people who disagree with me, theologically more astute then people who openly share their doubts, and aesthetically more sensitive than the fellow blankly staring at the screen of a phone. Sounds like I do have a superiority complex.
What is it within us that has us hungry for power and dominance, even if we never explicitly act on it? There is the gnawing need to be right, the aggressive drive to be first, and the lurking fear that stands in the way of admitting mistakes.
Our hungers, fears, mistakes, and failures are part of the human condition. It is who we are, and some of us have road signs pointing it out. We are human beings, joining with all creation reflecting back God’s holy image. All we have to do is to be. We are also human doings. What we do, matters. Our actions, our behavior, our ethics and values matter. And we are human becomings. We have not arrived at the fullness of who we are, but are on a wondrous journey called life. As we be, and as we do, so we are becoming.
I’ve spent the better part of my life trying to communicate and defend what I am. I am discovering, however, that it is more important to know who I am. The “what” question can easily be answered politically, socially, economically, intellectually, etc. The “who” question, however, is a much deeper, probing question that I will spend the rest of my life answering.
I just hope I get the spelling right.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than the angels, and crowned them with glory and honor. (Psalm 8:3-5)
Wow! I needed this verse this morning….when my faith gets low. Greg, honestly, you have never come across as acting superior. As I’ve said before, you are the most “approachable” and down to earth pastor/person I have known. No pretense, no posturing, just you!!
Thank you, Greg.
I love this – beings, doings, becomings. Thank you, Greg
Peches is the name of the family; maybe research before writing about the pitfalls of your perceived superior intelligence.
Aside from the spelling some of the best fruits and vegetables I have gotten have been around Eatonton. Since college days at Mercer, I always enjoyed stopping there.
Bad spelling but good stuff.
See? Just as the article implied.
Miss you Jean! Hope you are well.
This SO speaks to me!! I love your phrase about being a human becoming! Thanks for sharing this!
Love me some Georgia peches and maters, no matter how they are spelled. Yummmm
Greg…always enjoy your “bloghs!” What EVER the “reason” for the misspellings is, it accomplished its goal, 1) it got your attention, 2) caused you to stop, 3) prompted you to tell us about it, 4) you probably made a purchase (tow-may-toes) – would be my guess. So, I’d say, those folks are pretty cleaver.
Oh, by the way, you did misspell one word…in the 3rd paragraph.
God Bless You and Amy!!
Farmer brown realized after painting the first two letters there was not enough room to correctly spell peaches. He did what sounded best. It’s spelled correctly further down
his stand. Besides, why do we even need an a in peaches.
This fruit stand is right up the road from where my family has lived for over 100 years. That is their name. Nothing misspelled.
Excellent! It looks like the contents of the article of “assumptions” are validated. None of us has the complete picture. Thanks for the comment!
Did you notice that “peaches” is spelled correctly on the front of the fruit stand? Our reaction to “peches” is a good metaphor for how we sometimes look at other people’s mistakes and sins and overlook their good “fruit”. Thanks, Greg, for a great lesson on judging others.
“theologically more astute then people ………..”
It’s “than”, rather than “then”
Just sayin 😁
They used to have some delicious peches that the merchant was attempting to give me a bushel of, if I would just take his daughter out on a date.
– I never earned my free fruit…
Great points, Greg! I certainly needed to “here” this today.