Saturday, February 19, 2011

Shoemaker Without Shoes

Lately, I've been noticing a certain pattern.  I've noticed that:


  • Contractors' own houses have things that need to be fixed which being neglected by them.
  • Realtors have trouble selling their own houses
  • Teachers find it difficult to teach their own children and often have children that are outperformed by kids who come from families where parents lack post secondary education
  • Insurance agent themselves don't have insurance
  • Teachers' kids often are being taught by others
  • People who work in the health care industry rarely look healthy themselves
  • Spa personnel complain about being stressed out
  • Doctors pressure others to immunize their kids while their own kids grow up without immunizations. 
  • "Beauty" consultants' cake faces are far from beautiful and hairdressers' hair looks disastrous. 
  • Pastors' kids leave the church as soon as they are old enough

Whats up with that?   I have witnessed all of the examples and know most of the people described above personally but I don't have a good explanation for why that happens.  Maybe its because these skills that define us as professionals becomes such big part of us that there is no sense of urgency to use them well at home as they pertain to us or our loved ones.   Sometimes we are so invested into having others benefit from our skills that when it comes to the ones that matter most we simply have no energy left for them.  Sad, ironic, but true. 

What do you think?  Can you name a few other ironies that you have witnessed? 

2 comments:

  1. I have nothing to add except maybe that If you look up Jim Fixx it tells of an advocate of running who died of heart problems. While he was running.

    But I have seen it so much, and I wonder if it isn't because when a person gets too close to something, they lose sight of obvious things. Like the landscape company owner whose own yard is a disaster... he pays more attn. to his "business" than the business of his own yard. He doesn't see his own yard, he just sees his clients.

    But the story about the pastors kids is just sad. And the make up ladies faces are just scary.

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  2. Sometimes people say oh I would NEVER do that, or that would NEVER happen in my case and then it does happen... I guess never say never. Maybe people also judge others or are not understanding and harsh in their hearts. I know plenty of parents who talked about other kids that were not very obedient and a bad example to others, and their own kids grew up to be in some cases worse...
    The lesson I learned is don't talk bad or judge other people, and like the bible says (in my own words) If your standing be careful so you don't fall.

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