On Yelling

 For the past few days,

I’ve been learning how to make simple lyric videos for my classroom.

Since I wanted to go the free route,

I’ve been working with PowerPoint and

A YouTube tutorial on how to create the videos.

 

While I completed two very rough and unprofessional-looking videos on Sunday afternoon,

I decided on Tuesday that I didn’t like one of them because the timing just wasn’t right for teaching.

So yesterday afternoon, I stayed late at work and tried to update the video.

 

I may have gotten mad and thrown a little fit.

If anyone had been around, then they may have heard me yelling at the computer.

I may have frustratingly watched the video tutorial again and fussed at PowerPoint for not working as the tutor showed.

I may have hit my computer keys harder and harder in hopes that the pressure would somehow make something work.

It wasn’t my finest moment.

 

On Tuesday afternoon during car rider duty,

We had a parent get out of his car and angrily declare,
“Your system sucks!”

As the team and I discussed his outburst,

We likened it to parents on the sidelines of sports-games,

Not really knowing how things work,

But thinking they know best.

We determined that sports ball gives people permission to yell—

That it’s normal for persons to let out frustrations during sports ball games and

That, unless the comments start fights, it’s socially acceptable to do so.  

 

I don’t watch much sports ball,

So I don’t have many sanctioned opportunities to yell.

But I think, maybe, we must all need to yell ever so often—

That we all need to release anger and aggravations in loud, guttural ways,

Maybe like a war cry,

Maybe like the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

 

And so…

I yelled at the computer.

And we yell at spilled coffee.

And animals.

And other drivers.

And people we love.

They aren’t our finest moments,

But they are precisely what make us human,

And connect us together,

And call for grace.

 

God, thank you for common threads of humanity, even when they’re ugly. And thank you, God, that in our ugliness, you love us, and teach us, and allow us to have success at little things like making lyric videos and drinking coffee. Amen.