CASTOR-OIL FOR THE MIND!

March 1, 2026

This is the time of the year that many people reflect on all aspects of their lives. I, too, am doing so and I thought of an old story.  I fondly remember my mother chasing me in our back yard armed with a bottle of castor oil and a very large metal spoon when I was a kid.  She always caught me and forced a dose of this “liquid dam breaker” down my throat despite my total lack of cooperation.  Once it went down, the battle was over and it didn’t take long for me to start feeling much better.

As I travel and observe people in different situations, such as restaurants, stores, in traffic and other places, it is my perception that our new normal is rather somber.  I long for the days when we unguardedly laughed, smiled for no reason and just enjoyed having fun without thinking about more than that very moment.  I fondly recall hearing words like “please,” “thank you,” “excuse me,” “you’re welcome,” “pardon me,” “yes ma’am,” and “no sir,” and seeing smiles with these warm greetings.  Maybe it’s just me, but it sure seems that the volume control of life has been turned down.  I often say or do goofy things to see if I can make total strangers smile or even laugh.  It seems to be working, even if it’s at my expense and I’m seen as that “crazy old man.”

I wish that there was some sort of castor oil for the mind that we could put in everyone’s morning drink, especially in mine.  What I do know is that each of us can help change the tone of our environment with a good and cheerful attitude, just like a good old dose of castor oil did for my digestive system years ago.  The process was a little painful at the start but in the “end” it was well worth the experience and made me feel like a new person!  May you too take a little time to reflect on what we are doing right and what we can do better in service to others.  We all can be a blessing to each other with just a little effort.  Thanks be to God, from whom all blessings flow if we will only do our part!

Written by KING AEROSPACE Founder, Jerry Allan King-Echevarria.