Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-01-20
LOOSENINC THE TENSION

A sewing machine is a great moral teacher. The principles
that underie its successful operation are good sound princi-
pies of conduct. For instance, we take for granted when we
are about to do up the spring sewing, that the machine is
equipped with needle accurately set, and properly threaded,
and that the machine has been oiled in all its working parts.
The analogy so far is simple enough. To live in harmonious
relations with our fellow beings, we must ourselves be normal
creatures, with a goodly supply of tact to keep our relations
running smoothly.
Sometimes, however, when one is hurrying to finish a
garment "before dark distressing little accidents begin to
Occurr; the thread breaks for no apparent reason, or the
needle is suddenly blunted, and then something happens to
the tension, and the seam that should have been so smooth
and fair, is all gathered up on one side, so that it has to be
taken out. Adjusting the tension is a simple matter, if one
weren't in such a hurry to get finished before dork. But
trying to hurry along after the other minor setbacks, one gets
into deeper and deeper difficulty with the tension. 1t be-
comes a thing possessed, a demon that defes one, and laughs
derisively, while the hands of the clock move pitilessly on.
This is the time to stop and go out, shutting the door on
the sewing. It is easy enough to get the little matter of the
tension Strengthened out the next morning, when the children
are off to school, the mornings routine duties out OF the
have allowed herself to get into a state OF nerves over such a
trifle.
Have you ever found yourself spiritually all tied up in a
knot, so that everything was all wrong-out OF adjustment,
and you felt that the foul friends stood around laughing at
your being at your wits ends?
That is the time to shut the door on the troublesome ten
sion. Had you thought about it, Easy enough to loosen the ten
sion when you don't try to grit your teeth and fix it or die.
Shut the door on your overwrought nerves, and the tension
will miraculously straighten itself out.
have been in families where there was a great deal Of
= friction where bitter words flew about like singing horse
flies. The whole family suffered from the thought of the dis
harmony, wondering why THEIR particular family Life should
be SO gloomy and unpleasant when other families seemed to
enioy each other. In many such families of discord, the trou-
BILE is often too tight a tension. The mother is tired to death
from her long hard day Of unending domestic duties, the
father has his perpetual business annoyances, competitors try
ing to double-cross him, an undeserved "call-down" from the
boss, and the tension Of the mother and the father reacts
on the children so that it is very easy for any one member or
this group to tighten the tension to the breaking point by a
t%houghtless word, or a readiness to take for granted q slgnt
or a rebuke that was never intended.
Loosen the tension, Mother, Myrtle didn't mean that you
looked like a countrywoman when you insisted on wearing
your old clothes at home. OF course you can't cook the supper
in your best clothes. She really means that you have pretty
clothes and you look so sweet in them and you FEELtso sweet
in them, that it glori6es the whole atmosphere OF the home
when you do appear at supper in a pretty, stylish dress.
And Father, Of course joey didn't mean that he thinks
you are tight with your money when he said that all the other
fellows in his bunch had joined the new athletic club and why
couldn't he? the dues were only fifty dollars a year.
He doesn't know yet what it means to earn fifty dollars,
but he will, poor joey, and he will know what the struggle to
keep the family going means. He doesn't think you tight at
all, and he's horribly ashamed he said it, but he just can't
say so. He's only sixteen.
And you, Myrtle and joey, you don't know that back Of
Fathers ~irritability and Mothers habit of "f1aring ups is
a body WEAKNESS from work, incessant work, and a soul weari-
ness from the struggle to give you all the advantages they
never had, and an inarticulate love for you and your happi-
ness that keeps them going on with the monotony Of their
struggle.
Loosen your tension, Fathers and Mothers and Daugh-
tiers and Sons.
Don't take each other so seriously, and above all else,
don't take yourselves so seriously. Laugh at yourselves,
friends, it loosens the tension.