The 80’s. A time of huge shoulder pads, night time soap operas, and MTV. Like previous decades, the 80‘s brought about social change, technological change, and new diseases.

People were afraid they could catch AIDS by touching someone who had the disease. Car phones were a big deal, and those huge cell phones were an even bigger deal.

I came of age in the 80’s. The big deal for me during that time was the music, denim jackets, and pins. Yes, pins! I pinned them to my denim jacket, thinking it was the coolest thing ever. They had funny mottos or expressions on them, but of course some were just down right sarcastic. I was a pretty sarcastic person in my younger years. Thank God for maturity! Some of the expressions on my pins gave my dad pause. On more than one occasion he would ask me what I thought a certain motto (today we call them memes) really meant. I always answered that it was not a big deal, that it was just a saying. Fortunately I grew out of the sarcasm and taking words, mottos, and sayings at face value.  

Everything has a meaning. Considering words, memes, mottos, instead of taking them at face-value is important. Some may see this as a type of self-editing of our lives. But self-edit is not the case at all. I would venture to call it protection of our mind, even our psyche. Also, things have a way of coming back to haunt us. There are very few people in my opinion, who do not have regrets over actions or words previously spoken. We have all opened our mouths and inserted one or both feet. But it should not be the theme of our lives. We should be able to mature, to listen, to hear from people who care about us. We should remain teachable and willing to continually grow.

If there is any doubt at all about what a saying, a sign, or a symbol means, we should take an extra moment to research it. I have written in the past, about an interaction I had with a stranger on the beaches of southern Belize. Here is a link to that blog post: https://www.civillamorgan.com/walking-through-part-2 Everything has a meaning. Every bumper sticker, every logo, every brand, every pin. Even apparently mundane, inexpensive jewelry created by a street vendor just trying to make a little cash.

Recently, I listened to a former satanist discuss the meaning of symbols most of us might find innocuous. As I listened to him explain each piece of jewelry, cartoon character, insignia, or logo; I could not help but wonder how we go through life missing so much. Between my dad finally one day telling me that everything has a meaning, the conversation with the stranger on the beach in Belize, and the former satanist explaining what certain symbols meant; I am sold. I get it, seriously, I do! We really do need to open our eyes and pay attention.

What about you? Tell me in the comments below.