Dude. I am become SO cynical lately, I can barely even stand myself anymore. Okay. I work for a non-profit that has chaplains on staff, and social workers and psychologist and many warm-touchy-feely people. I usually function among such people well, for I, too, am at times a touchy-feely person. Except I'm really not impressed with heartwarming stories. Especially when read aloud at staff meetings. And when I've heard them before, over and over again. And they are so contrived it makes me want to retch.

I care about people. A lot. I have a tender heart and I fit in well at work, but I really, really don't know how I'm supposed to react when they read that story about the developmentally-disabled kid playing baseball, and all the kids let him win the game, and that's when the kid's Dad saw God's perfection: in those baseball playin' angel's actions and deeds and blah blah blah howlongisthisdamnstory?!

And it's a cute, touching story. I can imagine reading it in a publication like Guideposts or getting it via email devotional or even hearing it read as part of a sermon, because it's kinda sweet and all. Except, that same story and I have crossed paths with alarming regularity in the past six months, and I'm really, really tired of hearing about it. Point made, retire the story. I think the entire nation has either read or heard it by now, and we should all move on to a cute and heartwarming story about... say... um... I don't know?! Kittens?

Anything but little Shaya and the damn baseball.