What If God Wrote Your To-Do List? by Jay Payleitner

Author:Jay Payleitner
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780736961943
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

There’s no reason to fear the future. Or curse technology. But let’s not change for the sake of change. Or abandon things that bring people together and spread a little joy.

If it ain’t really broke, don’t fix it.

27

Buy a Used Tuxedo

High school talent shows reveal a wide range of “talents.” Audience members may be genuinely moved to tears by the beauty of a haunting cello solo or the grace of a young ballerina. A powerful dramatic soliloquy by a shy sophomore may surprise the entire student body. A future comedian will get his share of laughs, but most of the jokes will likely fall flat. In quite a few schools, the event will include a magician, an athletic jump rope artist, and a fairly entertaining rap inspired by Green Eggs and Ham or Goodnight Moon.

You can expect some too-loud screeching from a rock band assembled just for this talent show. With only one rehearsal, a few members of the football team might successfully perform a crowd-pleasing song and dance. You can also count on several acts that consist mostly of lip-synching, although I’m not sure that’s a real talent.

The most memorable high school talent show I’ve attended included most of the above. But the favorite act of the crowd packed into the high school gymnasium that evening was my son Max displaying his extraordinary ability to catch marshmallows in his mouth when they’re thrown from a great distance.

The idea and execution was all Max. His athleticism and confidence had been honed over years of excelling in organized baseball, wrestling, and football. His ability to catch popcorn, sunflower seeds, ice cubes, and M&Ms in his mouth had been sharpened in dugouts and locker rooms and at my own kitchen table.

The plan was coming together nicely. After the emcee’s introduction, he would walk into the spotlight carrying a guitar case, open it, and pull out a 20-ounce bag of Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows. He had already recruited his older brother, Randy, to come home from college to be the official marshmallow thrower. On cue, circus music would play while Randy tossed marshmallows to his little brother. They would begin just six feet apart, but after each throw, Max and Randy would each step back and widen the gap until Randy was throwing those white confections the full length of the basketball court.

One minor question was left unanswered. A couple of Max’s friends were sitting in our kitchen making suggestions about what Max should wear during his performance. A football jersey? A sport coat? A clown costume?

When teenagers sit around a kitchen table, a parent might be in the same room but not really be part of the conversation. I interrupted the brainstorming by saying something like, “How about a tuxedo?” That idea was well received, but everyone agreed the cost of renting a tux was probably not worth the impact. I replied, “Give me a day or two. I have an idea.”

So I called the local tuxedo rental franchise, talked to the manager,

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