Silent In the Face of Weird

Elf On a Bus

It might come as a surprise to some of you, but I have a sense of humor – and I don’t mind showing it. Yes, I understand it can be uncomfortable, especially for deacons and seminary professors, and hard to understand, but humor is a gift from God.

Therefore, I hope it does not shock you to see me dressed as a green-haired elf. Before I drove my afternoon route, I put on a wig and vest I bought at Target, along with the little red collars we had on our dogs. Needless to say, I got more than a few looks.

Different Reactions

As you can imagine, a lot of people, especially little children, got a kick out of my outfit. But some of the reactions sorta surprised me.

The elementary-age children acted pretty much the way I expected.

• “Why are you dressed like a clown?”
  I’m not a clown…I’m an elf!
• “Why don’t you have pointy ears?”
• “Where are your shoes?”
  What do you mean? These are my shoes!
• “Can I touch your hair?”
  Why? Do I ever ask to touch your hair?

Adults were a mixed bag.

• “I like your vest,” said a lady at the McDonald’s drive-through.
• “Did you make that?” I asked, “Is that a positive or a negative?”

But it was the teenagers that really amazed me. They epitomized our multi-cultural, politically correct society by never saying a single word. They said nothing.

As a matter of fact, most would only glance in my direction, trying not to be noticed.

Fearful Acceptance

There used to be a day when a green-haired, red-cuffed individual would be stopped by the police. There used to be a day when kids would laugh at a person dressed the way I was. There used to be a day when grown men and women would simply ask, “What in the world are you doing dressing like a fool this early in December?”

Now-a-days, strange is normal. And what is worse, society has made every one so afraid of saying anything that no one will say what most people think: “You look like an idiot!” Free speech has been silenced in the face of weird.

Sad, isn’t it.