Quite an Odd Couple

One of my favorite television shows of all time is the classic Odd Couple from the 1970s (not the tepid current remake). I still love it for many reasons:

• The chemistry between the leads. Jack Klugman and Tony Randall were born to play Oscar Madison and Felix Unger. They fed off each other in every episode to create comedy perfection.
• The ultimate slob vs. ultimate neat freak conflicts. Sure, they’re outrageous, but the contrasts were played to the hilt.
• The fun. The Odd Couple didn’t try to be socially relevant or edgy; it was just plain fun.

I loved the show when I was a kid and have been watching it in reruns ever since. I’ll never forget how the show got me through graduate school. That may sound weird, but, in the midst of a full class schedule, assistantship work, and more 20-page papers than I could count, The Odd Couple came on for an hour on a local station each night. I would take a break from everything and just laugh at Oscar and Felix for an hour and then return to my work/research/writing refreshed.

As I was watching an episode the other day, it hit me: writing and I are an odd couple, just like Felix and Oscar. And I have to admit: I am Oscar.

Like Oscar, I’m not the most organized person in the world. I’m a true “people person” and would rather be socializing than stuck in front of a keyboard. When I take a personality test, I always score as an off-the-chart extrovert.

Like Felix, writing takes organization and fierce determination. As Felix had every corner of his life organized down to the last detail, experts want to tell us that writing demands that we guard our time and ideas and have all of our pencils sharpened to the same size and standing upright in the same position.

If you know the show, you know these truths: (1) Oscar, in all of his sloppiness and disorganization, was a writer; (2) Felix’s fussiness was often undermined by Oscar’s messes; (3) even with all of their battles, Felix and Oscar remained friends and could co-exist.

These facts encourage me that I, too, can be a writer. God somehow takes my messes and forms them into something coherent and beautiful. For some crazy, mysterious reason He has called me to this writing thing, and all I can do is hold on for the ride, do my best, and let Him do the rest.

One of my favorite Bible verses is 1 Corinthians 1:27 (NKJV): But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. I think there should be a photo of me and my laptop right beside that verse.

Mind you, I’m no Jerry Jenkins. I’m not even Cyle Young (insert smile here–he created this blog and is all sorts of writing wonderful). But it is comforting to know that God has chosen Carlton, an Oscar Madison type, to write part of His story. May He be glorified in it all.

All of you Felix types are welcome to visit me, but call ahead first so I can clean my office.