My Favorite Comic Book When Growing Up

My parents placed this comic book in my hands when I was young.

"Tim," they said, "model yourself after this timid ghost. The less you say, the less they can hold anything against you."

I took their advice to heart. When people were upset at big church meetings, I said nothing.

If pressed to offer an opinion, I always said, "I am sure we can work this out." For many, this was a positive sign of my hope for the future.

You know what they say, "Victory has a thousand parents, but defeat is an orphan." I made sure every successful candidate was sure I was for them. I always grinned like, "We beat them like a backyard dog," to quote President Clinton.

One big advantage is that people shrink back from their favorite issues, once they have lost.

Our secret is persistence. Sure we have setbacks, like getting rid of the name Lutheran. Now no one dares oppose us. We got spanked a few times. Who doesn't?

They huff and puff and quit.

We never give in, never surrender.

Join me and dare to confess the compromise. There is always a middle ground, somewhere. There is no black and white, just winners and losers, whiners and boasters.