I would RATHER walk behind. Some desire to be in the lead, some want to walk alongside, others are comfortable being alone in the middle of a mass gaggle. Thus is the parade of humanity we know as life. In this parade I would RATHER walk behind.
In our DNA we are biologically programmed to the personality array we fall into. Yes, circumstances in early life including nutrition, intellectual stimulation, examples and mentors help to mold and make us into who we are today. People born and raised in China, France or Germany are unlikely to be found speaking with a southern Alabama accent. Nor would those born in what we might consider a poverty stricken environment be expected to appreciate the finer details and amenities of high society. So considering where we have come from, the idea that some of us might prefer to walk behind is not unusual.
I tend to be an observer. I am not going to be the one climbing the mountain but I will admire those who do. I watch what is done, analyze the process, judge the results based upon my previous experience and knowledge. Yet my opinions often go unshared. So I wonder from time to time if my value contributes to the world around me as a whole; or if it should. Life sometimes requires filters. I receive input from many sources. Some of them are welcome and given serious consideration. Some are mostly ignored. I think about that when I am tempted to interject my views into the lives of those I observe. I don’t want to be an annoyance but sometimes it is valuable to speak out.
I have a rule I have followed for years. “If they can correct it, share it; if not don’t embarrass them.” I would RATHER walk behind. And when I am there I observe beauty and unpleasantness. For example if I observe someone coming out of a public restroom and see toilet paper hanging of dragging behind them, I would generally address it even though they might experience momentary embarrassment. On the other hand if they are experiencing a wardrobe malfunction that they have no hope of correcting or covering, I would politely pretend I saw nothing at all. My interaction with them is my choice, based upon my judgments of the benefits and costs of intervening.
A little ditty I heard many years ago says “Do right. Do right; because it’s right to do”. I don’t always do right. Sometimes I selfishly apply my desire with the situation and derive what I perceive is personal benefit from the individual. For example, if I am a woman and I see an attractive man before me who has his suit coat tail partially tucked in his waist band, I have three broad options. I can approach, engage in conversation and sweetly address the issue. I might also gesture from a distance with similar results. Secondly I could completely ignore it and let it be his problem. Thirdly I could march right over yank the offending coattail into its intended location and smooth it out to enjoy the victory of control. Many other nuances come to mind. But rules are rules. They are not meant to be broken. They are meant to guide daily decisions for the benefit of those observing the rule.
God has given rules to those who walk in His ways. They only apply to those who have chosen to follow Him whether they understand the rules or not. Those who chose not to follow Him have another rule to observe. There are consequences to every action or decision in life. Their rule falls into that category. The Bible is the rule book for those who follow. It requires they observe to do all the words which the Lord their God has written in it. I observe many who do that; some to a greater degree and some to a lesser. I walk behind those who have gone before. I can see their victories and their defeats. I choose to apply their experience to my own, or not. Some are admirable for how closely what they applied drew them to His desired place for them. Some used those the rules or misused them to provide temporary personal benefit while ignoring the greater good planned by the Lord. We call this feeding the flesh.
My observation is that the flesh likes to be fed. It likes it a lot. And we do not mind feeding it what it wants. If the eyes desire it and the tongue tolerates it, then the stomach must endure it. This is also true of our spiritual flesh. We feed our minds the things it desires because it feels good to do so. Sometimes when I am walking behind it may be that I am enjoying the view, sometimes the aroma. At other times I may be attempting to get away from an unpleasant presence. If I were to catch up and engage in conversation I might find the person much different from what my limited trailing perception had been.
There are times when I would prefer to lead. It is comfortable being out in the lead where you don’t know if your followers are mocking or questioning. I am very comfortable speaking to folks about things which I have by time and experience gathered wisdom and knowledge. One of my greatest joys is when I see the light bulb go on in someone’s mind as they consider what I have presented. When someone “gets it”, I get the joy of knowing I have helped them. It is difficult to do that by walking behind. Unfortunately there is the possibility that they just won’t get it. That can be embarrassing and humiliating.
Finally there is the other option. Being in the mass gaggle, in the midst peers and pundits. Being on the same level with equal access and common vulnerabilities represents an unappealing arena to me. In the lead I assume authority and a certain measure of consented power. Walking behind I find comfort in not being the one targeted for objection. I get to choose the view, entertain the fantasies and formulate the “what ifs” which might occur. Safe, out of the lime light and well hidden from that which is not but might possibly be. The “maybes” and “I don’t knows” are frightening if we think we have to be in control. For if I knew the future as secure and profitable I would have great comfort in any position in the parade of humanity. But as for me, I would RATHER walk behind.