Fun With Slime!

Who would have thought that a person could find anything redeeming about slime? I remember a television personality in Houston years ago who tracked the results of the weekly health department inspections on the local eateries and then would report the results on the Friday evening news. He loved to exclaim one particular infraction, "Slime in the ice machine!" This phrase would send chills down the backsides of all patrons who had just eaten at that restaurant. No one wanted to think about anything slimy getting into their favorite beverage!

So, when our beloved pre-teen grand daughter started begging us to give her every bottle of Elmer's Glue we had in the house, we began to wonder what she was doing with this creamy household adhesive. She innocently stated, "Poppi, I'm making slime with it!" She said it so matter-of-factly that I felt ashamed that I had not guessed something so obvious to her before this conversation. Our dearest then asked, "Do you want me to give you my recipe?" I teasingly refused her offer and she gave it anyway, "Add 2 bottles of glue or more if your want, add color (optional), add shaving cream, add lotion if too rubbery, add your activator (eye contact solution), and add texture (optional)." Then she concluded, "That's why I need  your 2 bottles of Elmer's!"

I Googled this subject and found a young mother who was way too excited about making "Kid Friendly Slime." She has even been on the early morning television shows sharing her passion and insights about slime-making. She used words like  "amazing, perfect, gooey, stretchy and even highly addictive" to characterize her slimy creation.  She even spoke of making slime more "interesting." Is that an oxymoron?! This is even "educational" she concluded and added this clinical summary, "This is a great sensory play-day activity!" Wow! What enthusiasm for something so slimy!

Language and practices have changed so  much since I was a kid. It's like the old Bob Hope joke when he said in one of his USO shows, "When I was a kid, pot was something you kept under the bed and no one smoked it!" Slime to me is something that needs scrubbing, neutralizing with vinegar and water, and otherwise eradicating from the house, siding, drains and yes, anything connected to our water supply!

What are you excited about? What is a diversionary activity that takes your mind off of the everyday stresses of life? Or more importantly, what is your stress reliever? I like yo-yos for stress relief and have two favorites. I also have a fidget spinner that I take out of the box for a "spin" on occasions. I even have an old puddle of silly putty that back-in-the day I kept in the top drawer of my office desk because it helped me deal with the pressures of some conflict resolution in the church. And no, I'm not kidding!

These days, I think mostly I find that the Bible comes to my rescue. Philippians 4:6-7 has been a staple scripture for stressful situations over the years: "Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

The "recipe" for managing stress that works best for me is simply "don't worry about anything, pray about everything and find peace in fellowship with God and His Word!"

Mike Keppler, retired pastor,
active churchman and
doting grandparent.
Contact: drmjkeppler@gmail.com