Conference yukon::christian_v7

819.0. "Can I borrow the hammer?" by PAULKM::WEISS (For I am determined to know nothing, except...) Mon Nov 06 1995 11:03

We talked a lot this weekend on our men's retreat about how bad we are as men
in asking other people for help when something is troubling us.  Somehow most
men can't just seem to break the ice even with a close friend to say
"something's really bothering me..."  Even if they get started talking, it's
hard to break through the typically-male banter over jobs, sports, and other
superficial things.

So at breakfast Sunday an idea started mostly as a joke, that what we really
need is a 'code phrase' that sounds like normal banter but means something
else.  Someone suggested that we should buy a hammer, and just have it held
by the men in the congregation.  So if something's bothering you, you could
just call up another man in the congregation and say "Hey, can I borrow the
hammer?" and that would be a keyword for the other man to say "Is something
bothering you that you need to talk about."  It was mostly a joke, but a
semi-serious joke.

It just so happens that I'm leading worship this next Sunday.  So I'm going
to buy a hammer this week, let the rest of the men in the congregation in on
the idea, and let people know that I've got a hammer if they need one.  And
tell the wives in the congregation that if they husband suddenly says after a
phone call "Paul needs to borrow a hammer, I have to go over and bring it to
him" that they should just let him go with no further explanations.  :-)

Paul

Good one Paul.

	Can anyone lend me a .....
		Nah.  I can weather it a little longer.

							Andrew

 I like that idea, Paul..





 Jim (who never used to like calling men up to borrow tools ;-)

    
    Paul,
    
    What a wonderful idea!
    
    Pam

	Paul, that is a great idea! It is a fun way of getting a serious
message across. 


Glen