I’m getting tired, y’all. And I don’t mean tired like “I need a nap” tired. I mean I’m tired of what this great nation of ours has turned into. Sure, I see some current changes that feel like we’re steering in a somewhat better direction, but the fact of the matter is there’s still an abundance of things like civil urest, political turmoil, lawlessness, an underperforming judicial system, learned helplessness, victim mentality, and a lack of respect for authority (just to mention a few). On top of that, there’s an outright opposition to the very foundations that built America in the first place. I could go on and on.
Add to all of that, the fact that teaching in today’s classroom will wear a man (and woman) thin. When you’ve got lack of parenting, lack of discipline, lack of respect, and lack of judicial backbone compounding what happens inside those four walls, the teaching and learning experience feels heavier than ever. But, there was a time when I was able to let things roll off my back like rainwater. I didn’t carry stress like I do now. Somewhere along the line, I stopped letting puddles form on the ground and started letting all that junk soak into me.
If I’m being honest, lately I’ve let these things infect not just my mental state, but my physical state and, most sadly, my spiritual state. It’s like the weight of the world has been sitting square on my shoulders. I started wrestling with how to “fix” my attitude toward all this mess, and that’s when I felt the Lord whisper, plain as day: slow down.
When life used to get heavy, I’d do something simple: step out on my back porch, pet my dogs, and light up a bowl of fine pipe tobacco in one of my corncob pipes (yes, I collect them). I’ve always loved the tradition of the pipe. Some of my fondest memories are of my grandfather puffing on his old briar pipe. That smell meant comfort, history, and peace.
Sometimes, on rare occasions (maybe too rare), I’d pour a glass of bourbon or Irish whiskey… not to “take the edge off” so much as to savor the taste and discover the craft of local distillers. For me, both pipe tobacco and bourbon tie me back to simpler traditions, slower moments, and family memories.
Just this past week, our small group Bible study covered James 1:19: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” That hit me square between the eyes.
It’s not just about controlling your temper. It’s about taking life in slowly. Listening carefully. Thinking deeply. Responding wisely. Just because we’ve got a mouth, a quick wit, or a short fuse (guilty on all three counts) doesn’t mean we’ve got to unleash it. God’s Word calls us to slow down.
That’s one of the reasons I’ve always been drawn to history. I love reading about, or watching documentaries on, the late 1800s and early 1900s. Life wasn’t perfect, but it sure was slower. Things were simpler. Folks worked hard, took pride in their families, and lived without the selfishness, laziness, and entitlement that’s become so common today.
I can’t turn back the clock for the whole country, but I can make sure my own household lives at that slower pace. I can sit on my porch, dogs at my side, pipe in hand (maybe a glass of Jameson in the other hand), and remember what matters. Faith. Family. Tradition. Hard work. Respect.
Bottom Line Y’all…
I know I can’t control the chaos in Washington, the lawlessness on the streets, or even the lack of discipline in classrooms across America. But I can control my own heart. I can slow down. And I can keep leaning into God’s Word, keep lighting up a corncob pipe now and then, and keep reminding myself that life is better lived at a slower pace. I encourage you to join me in this endeavor.
Blessings, y’all.
~Mitch
Mitch Fairchild 
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