I appear to have a talent for spotting faults. I worked as a grain buyer for a number of years, which involved scrutinizing a sample of grain to detect foreign matter and any type of damage to the kernels. Later, I worked as a quality assurance inspector in an auto parts plant. The job was much the same, look for damaged or mis-assembled parts that we did not want to get to our customers for them to assemble onto a car travelling down the assembly line.

When it comes to things I read, I am quick to notice bad spelling, misused words and poor sentence structure, as well as urban legends told as facts and statements in Christian writing of dubious doctrinal legitimacy.

This is all well and good, and useful – up to a point. I’m not always sure where the point is when I should stop looking for faults. I am pretty much oblivious to what ladies are wearing and what they do with their hair. I think this is a good thing. My wife does wish I was not so clueless when she holds up a piece of material and asks me how I think this colour or pattern would look on her.

Lately I’ve been thinking that I don’t have much of a problem letting people know when I notice something that’s not the way it should be (according to my point of view, at least), but I’m not nearly so apt to point out things that I appreciate. Like the young lady in one place of business that I frequent who has such a warm and caring way of dealing with all the customers, even the difficult and annoying ones. Or the grand-daughter who is quick to see when something needs to be done and goes ahead and does it. Or the friend who has a knack for asking a question that will start a long and interesting conversation.

Maybe if I l speak up and let these people know how much I admire what they do, just maybe, some of their admirable qualities might rub off on me. At the very least, I have decided that I need to make a conscious effort to look for the good that others are doing.