AFGO

Grow: To increase in size and develop toward maturity.

I've got a couple of friends going through some painful stuff right now. I feel bad for them but not as bad as if it was happening to me. When we run into each other I gave them a big, manly hug, grab them by the shoulders, and say with all the sincerity that I can muster: "How does this affect me?" Frankly, if it doesn't impact me in some significant way I'm not all that interested.

I don't really say that. I don't want to be cruel. I think them, though. Sometimes I lapse into Manly Guy but not too often because I don't do very well at manly things. Actually, SuperK is the masculine figure in our relationship. I don't mean to imply that she's not feminine. I mean to imply that she can pick up a saw by the right end. I'm not allowed to touch anything that has sharp teeth or edges, or is powered by a motor. I can't get more than two feet off the ground and someone has to supervise me when I do any work whatsoever.

The point with Manly Guy behavior is that we cuff each other about the head and shoulders and say: "Buck up and get on with your life." Unless it's me. I cry like a baby. I want sympathy and I want someone to fix my problems and fast.

I have to remember that I grow when I'm challenged. Bald-weenie calls such troubles AFGOs. I think it means "Another Doggone Growth Opportunity," or something close to that.

Pain is the touchstone to all spiritual progress.