When you hear the word “exclusive”, of what do you think? The answer to this question will be one way to tell if you are an optimist or a pessimist.
An optimist will think of something exclusive as a fine thing. Exclusive can mean something or someone that is unique.
For example, the only known picture of Abraham Lincoln’s father, Thomas Lincoln, can be found at the Abraham Lincoln Museum on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Something that is one of a kind is exclusive.
The name Horace Maynard Middle School is exclusive, as there is only one school known to me in the world that carries that name.
Each person has one biological father and one biological mother. That fact makes each person exclusive. To the pessimists in the reading audience that reference test tube babies, I’m sure the small number/percentage of such births when compared to typical births makes someone exclusive if they were so conceived.
Someone is undoubtedly thinking, “According to Scripture, Jesus had no earthly father.” Scripture also provides explanation of Jesus’ conception:

And the angel answered and said unto her [Mary, the mother of Jesus], The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35 KJV)

Pretty exclusive, wouldn’t you say?
Every individual who ever existed on this earth is exclusive. No two of the billions of people in the world are exactly alike.
“What about identical twins?” says the naysayer. Even identical twins cannot have the same exact thoughts at the same exact time, especially when separated by great distances. Different life experiences in different locations shape the thoughts and actions of even identical twins in various ways.
Another way of looking at the word “exclusive” is in reference to a related word, “excluded”. In this sense, exclusive would mean left out, dismissed, ignored.
There are some times that it would be beneficial to be excluded, such as not being harmed by a natural disaster, epidemic, or being a victim of fraud; however, there are other situations when being excluded would be hard to consider in a positive light.
My mother told me that when I was a child that I used to cry every time I heard the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. She said I always cried at the line, “They wouldn’t let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games”. Perhaps I was subconsciously aware of future disappointments that I would encounter later in life.
I could give you various examples of times when I have been excluded, or shunned. There was the time that a group of my friends stopped inviting me to eat out with them, all because I had a different opinion than some of the more opinionated group members. Of course, one of the most opinionated always let me know in conversations that the group had eaten out. Only a fool could have missed the implication—I was intentionally not invited.
Everyone needs friends like that, right? (Not!)
Once a man was talking with a “friend” in which the relationship had become strained. In the course of the conversation, the “friend” informed the man that real FRIENDS had planned a surprise birthday party for the “friend”.
The man said, “I would have come if I’d known about it.”
The reply—“My FRIENDS knew who I wanted to be there.”
How dense would a person be not to get the point?
Ah, seemingly the final nail in the coffin of another beautiful friendship.
There are times that it seems everyone in the neighborhood is invited to a block party, except for those certain people who just don’t somehow seem to “measure up” to the social status or high society of the neighborhood.
There are also times that someone is not invited to the office party or the family wedding or reunion.
Sometimes not every sibling is invited to be included in the family portrait.
What is the solution when these exclusions occur? Find other friends. In so doing you might just find the truly best friend you will ever have. Trust me—I’ve been there, done that.
Sadly, we can never pick our family, and we often have little control of who becomes our neighbors or coworkers.
We do have control in selecting our friends.
A sad thing about friendship—no matter how valuable and meaningful, they cannot endure forever. Friends are loaned to us for a while to help make life’s journey more pleasurable.
Sometimes it is the unintentional spoken word that ends a friendship.
Sometimes it’s the inability to offer or accept forgiveness for an unintended slur that kills a friendship.
Sometimes it’s a guilty conscience.
Sometimes life just gets in the way. Remember that best friend in high school? How long has it been since you have seen or talked face to face with that person? Why is that?
Sometimes it is physical death that separates treasured friends.
Rather than grieving and becoming bitter over the loss of a friend, reflect on the good times shared and rejoice in them.
There will be others who will become friends. Remember, Dear Reader—you are exclusive in a positive way. You might not be appreciated for what you are by everyone, but there is only one you. There will never be another exactly like you. You are unique, as is every other person you will ever meet.
Treasure your exclusivity, your individuality. Don’t let others take you for granted. You are intentionally unique, a special being. As was written in the Scriptures, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Psalms 139:14 KJV)
Be that person with which you’d like to spend your last minute on earth.

ANSWER TO QUESTION OF THE WEEK # 81
What was wrong with the joke about paper? (ANSWER: It was tear-ible.)

QUESTION OF THE WEEK # 82
How many people will find it funny that there is a fine line between a numerator and a denominator? (See the next “Mincey’s Musings” in historicunioncounty.com for the answer.)