Have you ever heard the
saying: “You’re (or They’re) about as dumb as a box of rocks?” The
first time I did I chuckled. But you
know me and my creative imagination. I pictured
a person trying to reason with a box of rock only to become completely
frustrated because they weren’t getting any responses. Hilarious.
When I was a kid
I distinctly remember a marketing
campaign for a Pet Rock. Say what? Yes, I said a Pet Rock. Some of you remember what I’m talking about
because you still have yours. Did it
make money? The Rock sold for $3.95 and creator Gary Dahl unloaded more than
five million “rocks” in six months and walked away with $15 million. The Pets were well taken care of and
bilingual, uh huh, sweetie because he imported the rocks Mexico, packaged them
in a cardboard box that mimicked a pet carrier – complete with air holes and a
bed of straw. The Rock also came with a
32-page pet training manual with tips and tricks on how to train your new pet
to “sit,” “stay,” and “attack.” The rock’s
popularity ended after the 1975 Christmas season. In 2009, a guy named Martin
Abrams bought the rights to the Pet Rock, but it never regained its original
notoriety. Fool me once, shame on me;
fool me twice, shame on you. American’s
weren’t going for that fried ice cream twice.
Rather than spend my hard
earned money purchasing a rock, I found one similar to the ones Gary sold
except it had freckles. I got a purple
marker and wrote “My Pet Rock” on it so no one would throw it away and it was a
wrap. I collected several more unusual
rocks to keep my first one company, but grew bored with them and got rid of my
collection.
In June 2013 I took my
four grandsons on a road trip to South Lake Tahoe all by myself. It was a big
deal for me because I don’t care
to drive long distances. Something
inside urged me to step outside my comfort zone and take these little guys away
from the concrete jungle (thank you Shonda Dillehunt) so they could experience
nature. It was the absolute best
decision I could have made. We had a
blast and created priceless memories that will be forever etched in our hearts
and minds. I set the expectations before
we left the house, packed travel games, snacks, beverages and we were off. Once we got out of the City on the open
highway they were amazed at the scenery but as we entered the mountains they
were amazed by the snow they saw on the peaks of the mountains that were within
eyesight. I will never forget the “oohs”
and “awes” each of us released as we witnessed God’s creation. Their excitement was incredibly contagious. One of our many highlights was entering in and
passing through the curvy mountainous road.
The rock formations that we saw were breathtaking and it was the perfect
opportunity for a teachable moment about God’s handy-work.
They were with their Mema
and we made a conscious decision to make this trip a memorable adventure, free of drama and a bunch of rules, of course we had to have some rules to maintain a certain amount of civility but they weren’t the everyday: do this, do that kind of rules. They got to decide what they wanted for meals (with a little guidance from me); when and what snacks they wanted, where we would go, etc. Those babies were
Clearly I’m going somewhere
with on these rocks but I’d like to invite you to accompany me on my journey
down Discovery Boulevard. Are you
ready? No you’re not. I need you to put on your purposeful walking
shoes, imagination hat, faith goggles and determination jacket so you can be
well prepared. Now are you ready? OK, let’s go. I did a little research on rocks and here’s
what I came up with. There are a variety
of categories which include the word rock.
For example:
Edibles:
· Rock Candy aka Rock Sugar: a type of stick-shaped
boiled sugar confectionery
· Rock Salmon: often referred to as Rock; sold in UK
fish and chip shops
· Hard Rock Café: is a haven for fans of music, food,
and entertainment complete with live music, hotels and casinos depending on the
location you chose.
National Places:
· Rock, Kansas; Rock, Michigan; Rock County; Minnesota; Rock County, Nebraska; Rock, West
Virginia; Rock, Wisconsin
Global Places:
· Rock of Gibraltar:
Have you heard the term “solid as the Rock of Gibraltar?” I knew
it was a famous quote but I recently discovered it’s a place. The
saying was born out of the seeming impregnability of a small island in the UK
near the border of Spain which gave the impression it was a massive fortress during
several wars.
· Jamaica, an island in the Caribbean is locally
referred to as the "Rock"
· Niue (“knee”), an island near Tonga referred to as the
"Rock" by residents
· Tutuila (“two-two-eelah”), the main island of American
Samoa
Sports
Colorado Rockies, a major
league baseball team referred to as The Rocks
The Toronto Rock of the
National Lacrosse League
The Glasgow Rocks of the
British Basketball League
Music:
Rock and Roll Music (e.g.
Lil’ Richard, Elvis Presley, etc.); Rolling Stones (Rocks); Rock Music and one
of my old school favorites: Rock SteadyBaby written and performed by Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The song was released in 1971, from the album
Young, Gifted and Black. The single reached the #9 spot on the Billboard charts
that same year and #2 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart. I’m just keepin it 100 (that’s for you
Bonita). We can’t end the (BLOG) on “worldly”
music so let’s cross over to Gospel music with Rev. F.C. Barnes who wrote RoughSide of the Mountain.
Climbing the mountain (one
is an option Rev. Barnes but I heard this amazing Carpenter talk about faith
possibilities that blew me away. He
said: It is because you don’t have enough faith! But I can promise
you this. If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, you could tell this
mountain to move from here to there. And it would. Everything would be possible
for you. Matthew 17:20 (CEV)
Additional Uses of the word Rock
· Diamond/gem (aka Rock)
· Human gene ROCK1: plays a role in cancer
and in particular cell motility, metastasis and angiogenesis
· Rock Cocaine (aka Crack): I would venture to say about
90% of you reading this blog can relate to Crack cocaine in one way or another. Though it was extremely popular in the 80s
there are still residual effects that haunt and yet affect families devastated
by this drug in one form or another.
Some of you may remember the devastation experienced by hundreds of
thousands of people as the use of this drug destroyed families from all walks
of life but in particular economically disadvantaged people. In my opinion those who suffered the most
were the “crack” babies born addicted to this demonic substance and tens of
thousands of children who completely missed the opportunity to be raised by
loving parents.
I’m out of time for now,
let’s pick it up later
Because of His Favor
Tania Not Tanya
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