Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Something Stupid



Granny here. Can I give you an earworm?* I mean, this song has been stuck in my head since the Inkies started talking about this TSTL concept. Of which I was clueless. Who, IMHO, can remember all those acronyms?

So anyways, when Granny was just a girl in plaid hot pants, Ol Blue Eyes and his daughter Nancy had a hit with “Something Stupid”. (A love song duet which is a bit strange in itself but that’s for another day.) If you know the tune, here’s some of the words:
I practice every day to find some clever lines to say
To make the meaning come through
But then I think I’ll wait until the evening gets late
And I’m alone with you

The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red
And oh the nights so blue
And then I go and spoil it all, by saying something stupid
Like I love you



*(Earworm: a song that gets stuck in your head even if and especially if it’s annoying)

Well sometimes stupid is not so bad. When the heroine--generally your flaky chick who goes into the basement alone while the soundtrack music in your head is just tellin’ her to stay locked in her bedroom type of character--makes you throw the book, then stupid is bad.

I’ve bucked up here and used the word stupid even though my mom told me not to use it. (She doesn’t read blogs.) I am told it is just one category below the real potty mouth words. But I’m using it, because someone needs to tell you. Stupid is alive and well and living very close to home.

When I think of my hero, Granny Clampett, I think of all that poor dear woman had to endure with that knucklehead nephew of hers, Jethro. Jethro Bodine. Despite the fact Granny was the ultimate woman (she could bring home the possum AND fry it up in the pan!) Jethro tested her daily with . . . well to be politically correct, he made some poor choices. How often did Granny reach for that big, black, cast iron skillet and threaten to knock some sense into his thick head. I bet she wished she was back at the homestead, living alone. One good way to get away from, well, stupid.

Or not.

My great, great uncle Carl was a hermit. I’ve often thought of giving it a try myself. But there’s no way to get away from stupid. It travels with me.

“For crying out loud! What’s wrong with you?” I admit I’ve used that phrase toward family. Teenagers do that to people. And I’ve used it too often on myself. What? You haven’t? Whatever.

I’m so glad God lets stupid live. If I had a garbanzo bean for every stupid thing I’ve done or said I’d have enough hummus to start my own trendy deli chain.

Of course, Stupid makes for good TV. (I suppose great uncle Carl would have rocked the competition on Survivor. Of course you do need social skills to get by.) And stupid keeps us humble. We (that might be the royal ‘we’) can wear the T shirt “I’m With Stupid” when all alone. Thank God He loves us despite ourselves. Those moments when we truly mess up or when we say something stupid. Something that hurts or tears down rather than builds up.

Granny Clampett was Jethro’s toughest critic but also his fiercest defender. Isn’t that the way of love? Doesn’t God in all His wisdom remind us gently of our weaknesses so that we covet his strength? Doesn’t He shock us at our stupidest moments with the power of His love and forgiveness?

Two questions for you. Are you old enough to have watched the Beverly Hillbillies before syndication? Can you look back on any of your 'stupid' moments as a place where you learned a valuable lesson? I know you can but is there anything you can share with the entire world on cyber space? Never mind. Just acknowledge it and thank God for his mercy.

Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.


Leave a comment with your e-mail address included (use parentheses around your AT sign) and we'll enter you in a drawing for today’s prize and our big ol' grand prize to be awarded at the end of October.
Deadline for entry via the comment section of this post is three days hence. Ya'll come back now, ya hear?

24 comments:

  1. Debra,

    This gave me a big smile.

    I did not watch the Hillbillies before syndication, but I HAVE done such stupid things I'd ((((blush)))) to tell them all. One was this weekend at the ACFW conference. It did not, luckily, include offending any person. It did include losing our suitcases in the most stupid fashion you can imagine. But God is good, my friend and I prayed like the dickens, and those suitcases were untouched and intact.

    God trumps stupid, praise His holy Name. :)

    May He bless you richly today!

    ReplyDelete
  2. LOL I'm sure I've done many, many stupid things. In fact, I get lost regularly and I'm not sure why. That's really stupid. LOL

    God is definitely amazing. He turns things around and makes things work for our good, when we let Him. :-)

    Never watched the Hillbillies. When I was a kid I'd change the channel when they came on. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gwen,
    I happen to know about the 'suitcase incident'. Nuthin much gets by Granny. I'd chalk that one up to the excitement of the moment and the thin air of those Colorado mountains.

    Jessica!
    It's so nice to see your smiling face again. I hope your conference experience was above and beyond what you'd dreamed!

    Thanks for coming on by and sharing, you sweet young things!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, Granny I have lots of stupid to own up to too. As recently as late last night when I stayed up waaay too late to watch a sitcom on DVD instead of going to bed. Even though I could have watched them another time. Ugh. I do so regret that decision.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm not old enough to have watched Beverly Hillbillies before syndication, but I do think I've seen every episode. I wanted to climb up in a tree and shoot stuff with my double barreled sling shot and swim in the cement pond with all the critters like Ellie Mae.

    I do a lot of harmless stupid stuff when I'm writing. My head gets lost in the clouds. It's kind of dangerous sometimes. My husband threatened to bann me from the kitchen stove.


    And yes, I've done stupid with a capital "S" too. I'm happy to give God a big shout out for his grace and mercy in those situations.

    Dina

    ReplyDelete
  6. Cute post, but now, thanks to you, I have my own 'earworm'. Let me tell you a story about a man named Jed, a poor mountaineer . . . . AAAHH.
    Anyhow, loved the post. I don't know if I want to put up all my 'stupid' moments as many of them include some 'potty mouth' moments as well. And cows. Blessings and thanks for the smile.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You know, I can't remember if I saw the Beverley Hillbillies in reruns or in first run. Probably both! I have seen every single episode more than once, I'm sure.

    As for doing stupid things, where would I start? But I stopped keeping track when I realized that if God could forgive my sins, who was I to hold on to them? Repent. Move on. God is good.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I suppose I ought to confess "stupid" is one of my favorite words because sometimes, oftentimes, blue is just that--blue. Stupid is just that--stupid.

    Doing something stupid isn't as stupid as doing the stupid thing and not learning from it. Took me twice of hitting my head on the open cup/mug cabinet door to realize I needed to close it once I finished unloading the cups/mugs from the dishwasher. The first time was a result of not paying attention. Stupid, but not overly stupid. The second time was not learning from my first blunder. Major Stupidicus.

    And here's my not-overly-stupid Thought for the Day...

    When your pet bird sees you reading the newspaper, does he wonder why you're just sitting there staring at the carpet?

    Thanks, Granny, for guest blogging today and giving me another 24 hours to formulate my TSTL blog thoughts. Oh what will I share tomorrow....

    ReplyDelete
  9. Well girls, Granny IS old enough to have watched Beverly Hillbillies the first go round. (and thanks for the new earworm, Carolyne!) I am pretty sure I used a scratchy sisal rope for a belt so I could look like Ellie Mae. As If. Never did end up quite that curvy of course. Then there's Miss Hathaway!

    Like I said. Stupid keeps us humble. I'm thankful for that.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great post, Deb. I continue to do my share to contribute to all the stupid in the world. But that just makes the grace of God ever more sweet. He loves me in spite of myself. And He is constantly teaching me not to be stupid!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Granny, I am still laughing. If *I* had a garbanzo bean for every stupid thing I've done just in the last week, I could supply the hummus for your trendy deli.

    We try so hard not to use the word "stupid" in our house though, at least not about people. When my daughter was in kindergarten, she came home and told us in her most disapproving manner that other kids use "the 's-word.'" We looked at each other, thinking, "YOU told her the s-word? How does she even know the phrase, s-word?" So I asked her, "What does the s-word mean?" And she said, "I can't say. It's too bad. But it rhymes with 'oopid.'"

    So there you have it, our family's own s-word. Are we a sheltered bunch, or what?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Deb, enjoyed the post! Yes, I did watch The Beverly Hillbillies--long before syndication.

    A trend of lying dominated early days. When classmates discussed "Annie, Get Your Gun," I added vivid details to prove I watched the show...I'd never heard of. Of course the kids roared and pointed fingers at me for the whoppers. As I ran home crying, "Liars never win," kept coursing through my brain.

    Whew. That wasn't so hard.

    Thanks for the great post!
    Patti

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh yeah, the Hillbillies were always good for a few chuckles - all the more because we could all relate to being that stupid at one time or another! :) marci

    ReplyDelete
  14. Debra, a great post. Of course, I've never done anything that would be considered TSTL. This hour, anyway!

    Yes, BH was on as I was growing up but it wasn't one I watched. Your heroine Granny was my antagonist. She rubbed me the wrong way. But the life lessons of the series were undeniable. And, if I know that, I must have watched! Another TSTL moment! (And that's the only one you'll hear about--this week.)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Frankly I don't know what 'syndication' means, but I regularly watched 'The Beverliey Hillbillies' on TV in the North of England in the 60s. I was a schoolgirl then. It must have stuck in my head, as, wherever we have lived - my husband and I - we have had neighbours we named 'The Clampetts'. The last managed to burn down their house and weren't technically neighbours, therefore, but for a while they used the ruin for professional discos. These would keep up awake until the small hours. They invited us along one time - for a fee! Another time they somehow set fire to the wood behind their (burnt out) property. Of course, the 'real' TV Clampetts were wise and good people. They only appeared stupid because of their lack of sophistication aka guile. I would like to live next door to the 'real' Clampetts.

    Ann

    ReplyDelete
  16. Doing stupid things come with the package of being a man:)
    The question should be "How often...?"

    Praise God for His mercies and protection.

    "The Beverliey Hillbillies" was one of my favorite shows to watch. My daughter thinks I'm too old and should have seen it before syndication but I'm not. I will be taking her to the eye doctor soon:)

    Good blog. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Marcia and Ann! I'm so glad you stopped in and commented. Thanks all for volunteering to join in our 'less than stellar moments' discussion.

    Ann, how funny to know the Clampetts got as far as the north of England. If you've ever gotten to Texas or Beverly Hills, California, I'll let you decide how 'stereotypical' the show was. I agree, Jed was a pretty wise man.

    Dani - we will not take the bait and discuss any connection between gender and stupidity!! You must be a wise man also - you did marry Dina!

    Hey Connie -glad you're home and didn't catch Granny's cold.

    Patty, thanks for admitting your TV watching age along with me!! I hope you are enjoying a well deserved PW week.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Okay people. Granny's checking out to go watch DWTS. Good night Gracie

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yes, I am old enough to remember both The Beverly Hillbillies and the song "Something Stupid" which I now can't get out of my head! LOL My hubby loaded up my old recliner to take it to church this afternoon to donate for the youth group. He told me and my friend to get up in the chair in the back of his pickup truck and she said that reminded her of Granny in the BH, so it is definitely a part of our culture for anyone over a certain age. I'd love to win either prize because I am a writer and a reader! crmcc (@) setel.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Granny,
    I grew up on a farm in Pa. and I felt like the poor side of those Hillbillies. I've done stupid. Is that a t-shirt?
    Most recently I didn't know they'd closed Concourse C at the Cincinnati Airport, so I rode the train from A to B and back again until I figured I wasn't going to get to C. :)
    Oh gee, did I just tell the whole world that? I'm going to bed and recuperate somemore from that wonderful conference where I did even more stupid things I ain't own'n up to.:)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi Debbie--

    Yes; used to watch the B.H.--and when I think of 'stupid', I also think of--what else? A typical sheep. Maybe that's a cliche, but it's still a good example of me,("ewe's not fat, ewe's fluffy :)and so very thankful in my walk with the Lord. I especially like it though, when He carries me.
    So glad you enjoyed your trip to Denver, and looking forward to hearing your GOOD NEWS-- Woo-hoo! Blessings-- Pat I.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Howdee! Great post Granny! I'm not sure if I watched the Beverly Hillbillies in syndication or if they were reruns. I used to watch them at my grandma's house after school. I loved the show.

    I've had many stupid moments, but I'm thankful that I usually learn from them. Oh, and I'm a major klutz. Does that count as stupid?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh, Granny...it's yer neighbor from jest down the holler...Stupid is as stupid does ma'am....Yuh cain't fix stupid...

    But you are so right when you say God sure is willin' to overlook it and love us anywho....

    Caryn

    ReplyDelete
  24. Very cute post. Thanks for inviting me to your new blog!

    ReplyDelete

Share This Post

How Our Giveaways Work: The Official Rules

We, the ladies of Inkwell Inspirations, would love to give free stuff to everybody. Since we can't, we will often have a giveaway in conjunction with a specific post. Unless otherwise stated, one winner will be drawn from comments left on that post between the date it was published and the end of the giveaway as determined in the post. Entries must be accompanied by a valid email address. This address is used only to contact the commenter in the event that he/she is the winner, and will not be sold, distributed, or used in any other fashion. The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. NO PURCHASE, PLEDGE, OR DONATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Pinterest