BILL'S BAD HABIT
Bill Had a Bad Habit!
(A parable)
Bill Jones had friends. They liked him, yet sometimes they avoided him. It seems they had good reason to. He had a bad habit they found hard to tolerate sometimes. Some thought it was laughable, but others said, behind his back, "I am not going to put up with his attitude." And, they said it was the last time they would bother with him again.
The trouble was, Bill had good traits also. Everyone noticed he could be quite generous and helpful and kind. He would go out of his way to help a friend or neighbor in trouble. Thus, it was hard for them to stay away from him entirely. So what do you suppose was his problem?
Bill was a braggard, and when he bragged he had this habit sticking his thumbs under his front suspender straps. When the guys saw this they knew what was coming. The neighborhood men were gathered together one day on George's driveway. He had bought himself a car, and of course his friends were curious about it. "I do believe I got a good deal." George said, "The mileage is great, so I am really satisfied. It does have a small dent and a scratch, but the Lord knew how much we needed this, so He helped us raise the money without getting in debt." He continued, "It isn't new, but it seems to be in good condition. I am so thankful to have it."
As soon as George had said this, Bill started in. "You should see the car I am buying. I was smart enough to jew the old guy down for a lot more than you would have been able to. Mine has twice as much mileage as yours, and it's newer too. Not a scratch on it. "He invited them to come over to look at it as soon as he brought it home, but the guys had no plans to hear more of Bill's bragging, so they didn't intend to go see it.
Of course, this wasn't the first time they had to hear Bill's bragging. They tried to forget the time he had put a friend down by boasting how much better he was at a certain job. Or when he bragged how much better his daughter played her violin than the other girls at a concert. It sickened them sometimes to hear him. They came to the place where they walked away when they saw his thumbs go into his suspender straps. Of course they made excuses for leaving, and Bill was quite puzzled by their behavior.
One day Bill had an accident with his car. It was definitely his fault, as he had ran a red light. His family had been with him. A couple of the guys noticed the dents in his car and stopped to ask him about it. He started blaming the guy who hit him. He thought maybe he was drunk. He started to say what a good driver he always was and the other guy didn't watch where he was going. Suddenly, his little girl spoke up. "Daddy, you went through a red light, and the police man gave you a ticket. He said you had broken the law." Daddy turned red and took his thumbs out of his suspenders. He had no more to say, and the guys were gracious enough to change the subject.
When Bill went in afterward, he spent some time by himself thinking about this. For the first time, he began to realize something about himself just wasn't quite right. Could it have anything to do with why the fellows walked away when he started talking sometimes? He had to admit his little girl was absolutely right in what she said. Perhaps he was not such a good driver after all. It made him feel quite uncomfortable, and he didn't sleep well that night.
Then something happened which took the cake, not so long afterward. The church family went on a picnic together. Most of the church members were there, and Bill and his family had looked forward to it. The conversation got around to the good food everyone had brought. Bill had to admit most of the dishes were very tasty. It was a potluck so several people had brought different dishes. Someone mentioned Ann's potato salad, and Bill chimed in and said his wife made a much better one. After they had eaten, someone else mentioned a baked bean dish they liked.
Bill got a hold of his suspenders and just couldn't help but tell them that he made the best baked beans in the whole country side. He didn't stop there. "I am able to bake and cook the most delicious food around here. No one can top me. Not even my wife." While he was saying this he had grabbed his suspender straps and given them a good yank.
You might guess what happened next. "Pop, pop!" They both had come loose. If his wife hadn't come to his rescue, his pants would have come completely off, but she caught them before they had gone down a couple of inches. Everyone was watching, Bill was sure. His wife managed to fasten them back up before a real disaster happened. But some people were snickering and a few were laughing very loud. Needless to say, Bill's face looked like a beet root.
Soon people went back to what they were doing. Bill and his family left early from that picnic, which had started out to be so enjoyable. His little girl came up to him when they got into their home, and said, "Daddy, I love you, and I am sorry your suspenders came loose." She hugged him close and continued, "You know, Daddy, I think you had better stop your bragging, because suspenders cost money, and you don't have anymore left right now."
Bill had been very quiet on their trip home, and he felt humbled by his little girl's speech. He knew she had to be right. Somehow, his suspenders never came loose again, nor did he need another pair for a long, long time. In fact, the calluses on his thumbs disappeared too.
Bill noticed his friends were eager to see him now and they never walked away or became terribly silent, at times, like they had in the past. Bill actually felt relieved to know he wasn't any better than anyone else. He was just an ordinary guy with a few skills and a few possessions, but so were many other people.
Copyright 2011, Kathryn D. Search
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