Always keep at least one friend who enjoys sharing your wildest thoughts.
One of my favorite wild-thought friends is Al Harvey. Long ago I wrote in my journal, "Al has one of those expansive gourds that can entertain any of my thoughts without taking offense. We both know we can say anything we think (or think we think!) on any subject. What a blessing the man is to me!"
Think about the blessings of a wild-thought friend. For one thing, they keep us from repressing. Freud taught that anything we repress pops up like a cork out of our deep unconscious mind and often expresses in an unhealthy way. Shame or some similar negative emotion has kept it submerged, and those negative emotions taint its expression when it does come up. It will pop out of the unconscious and into your mouth at the most inopportune time and with those who are ready to judge you most harshly. They will tell people, "You can't believe what that turkey said to me the other day."
A wild-thought friend has listened to your heart so long he knows you. He's always been amused at your ability to entertain wild thoughts without letting them become a permanent part of you. He's always listened to your wild thoughts without switching your legs, and the least you can do is return the favor. Anyone whose Mama has ever switched his legs will understand me perfectly.
Psychologically, it's often the leg switching that makes us repress our wildest thoughts. It is not easy to have wild thoughts and be afraid to express them. But enough leg switchings will tune you up.
I am here to urge we become more tolerant of wild thoughts. Consider when one of the Wright brothers told the boys down at the county store, "Orville and I are building an airplane and are going to fly." One old guy said, "Sure Wilbur. We don't want to sell you any insurance, but we'll come watch your first flight." Imagine the guffaws after he had left the store.
Knowing where eggs come from, I have always held a high respect for the first man to ever eat an egg. I can just see an old farmer and his wife watching a hen lay an egg when Farmer Brown says, "You know, Molly, I am going to eat one of those things one of these days." His wife says, "You do and you will be living somewhere else. I'm going to the house and talk to the cat. You're crazy!"
We owe a debt to Farmer Brown. His wild thought made it possible this morning for me to have "two over medium" at the Waffle House.
Honest doubts are healthy. My brother Blaine was born to be an engineer, always asking "why" and "how." We were playing one day when Blaine used a dirty word. Mother came running.
"No, Blainey. It's not nice to use that word." The budding engineer asked "Why?"
She said, "God can hear you."
"What if I just thought it," he asked.
"God could still hear you."
Blaine got quiet for a moment and said, "My. God sure has sharp ears."
That's why he's always been one of my wild-thought buddies.