Don’t sweat the small stuff

December 4, 2025 · 0 Comments

by BRIAN LOCKHART

Years ago, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons, ran a series of public service-type commercials on network television.

They weren’t proselytizing or even introducing their religion; they were just promoting good messages.

One of those commercials really stuck with me over the years.

There was a man standing in front of a mirror wearing an undershirt, his face covered in shaving cream.

He had a couple strokes of the razor before he heard a familiar sound and looked out the window.

The garbage truck passed by his house without stopping.

The man’s son had forgotten to do one of his chores and didn’t put the garbage out for pick-up.

In the next scene, the man, his face still covered in lather, and the son are seen running down the street with several garbage bags in an attempt to catch the garbage truck.

When the garbage truck makes its next stop, the two throw their garbage bags into the truck and give a wave to the drivers.

They return to the house and stop on the porch.

The father looks at the son.

In many cases, you would expect to hear the father admonish the son for his irresponsible behaviour and forgetting to do a simple but necessary chore.

Instead, the father laughs at the thought of the ridiculous sight of them running after the garbage truck.

He put his arm around the son’s shoulder, and they entered the house.

The message: Don’t sweat the small stuff.

I’ve always thought that was a short, yet powerful vignette of the right way to go through life.

Why make a big deal out of nothing?

Just over a month ago, we celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday. The idea behind this special time of year is to give thanks for what you have.

Originally, it meant giving thanks for a good harvest that would sustain your family over the next year.

Since most of us aren’t really involved in a harvest anymore, it has become a time to reflect on all the good things you have in your life.

You can be thankful you’re alive, have a decent job, your family is happy and healthy, and maybe because you have a Ford Mustang convertible parked in your garage as a summer toy car.

You should be thankful you live in a country where you have a democratic voice and the power to change a government if you don’t like its policies. You should be thankful you live in a country that is financially successful.

Over the past decade, there has been a lot of ‘woke’ information about all the wrongs this country has done in the past.

The truth is, this country was built where nothing existed before.

That bridge you drive over every day, and the streets and roads you take to get to work, were built. So were the hydroelectric dams that supply your electricity, the water purification plants that provide you with water, the arena where you play hockey, the home and subdivision you live in, and the park in your neighbourhood. They were all built by hardworking people over the course of over 300 years.

We should all appreciate these first-world amenities, and those who come here and try to disrupt that should probably just leave.

We are now heading into the Christmas season – the season of love, peace, and goodwill toward men – although it has mainly become the season of crass commercialism.

The day after Christmas Day was traditionally called Boxing Day for some reason.

It has now become synonymous with shopping and getting a good deal. I guess it works, or they wouldn’t do it.

I recently bought a new smart TV. My old one just fizzled out and died one evening. Since TV repair went the way of the dinosaurs, buying a new one is really the only option.

When I went into the big box store we all shop at, but no one ever admits to buying at, I noticed all the TVs on display were huge.

After looking around, I came upon a skid full of 55-inch TVs. It was a good brand with lots of features and priced well below what I expected to pay.

I asked the salesperson a lot of questions about the product, and finally asked ‘Why is it priced so low?”

She replied that it was part of the ‘Black Friday’ sale, and it was on for half price. Black Friday? That isn’t even a Canadian thing, and it was only Thursday.

I now have a very large TV in a very small room, but I’m happy with it.

Enjoy the coming season, have fun, and don’t sweat the small stuff – life is too short.