Will the Real God Please Step Forward

08 Jan 2015 Leave a comment

by jbritt72 in Britt Michaels Tags: , , ,

Will the real God please step forward

by Britt Michaels

October 08, 2007

Revised: January 08, 2015

Throughout history, there have been many gods ― but is there A God? [We have a bad habit of misusing superlative comparisons.] We’re not very good at grammar. Commentators say “… is one of the best teams in the league.” To be correct, it’s either ‘one of the better teams’, or, ‘the best team’; however way ‘best’ is defined.

Let’s first look at the semantics of language.

‘Best’ is the superlative case. There is only one ‘best’. Supreme is synonymous to ultimate or greatest. ‘Supreme’ is the superlative case. There can be only one supreme being, or God. The old Greek and Roman societies had patrons, or gods, for most any occasions. Crops, the seas, war, backgammon ….. The Catholic Church thought this a real neat set-up. The use of many gods though, clashed with the First Commandment. The hierarchy got around that by using tricky wording: calling their gods, “patron saints”. Probably were lawyers.

A (one) God would have manifested himself the same to all new tribes during the dawn of civilization. Instead, each new group came up with its own god. Why different gods ― if there’s only one God? Gods are the invention of man.

Each society in its early development, as to even today, had to devise laws and morals to survive. Otherwise, without controls, the society would break down, into rival factions. Tribal leaders realized this. Human controls, such as police and jails, for example, wouldn’t be enough. Some higher form would be needed.

Since ‘God’ hadn’t shown his face, or even a sleeved arm with a finger pointing out a cloud, one had to be invented. Tribes were small and isolated from each other in those early days. Since there wasn’t a common God, each tribe would have had to invent its own god. Humanoids were pretty thick in those days. They were easy to manipulate. (Actually, they still are.) ‘God’ had to be a physical force. Strong enough to control. Plain enough to see. Acts of Nature, like active volcanoes, thunder and lightning and forest fires were good starters.

These were strong forces. Though easily visable, it was hard to grasp and understand them. Though survival tactics were the primary activities, there was always enough time for tomfoolery, thievery, debauchery and other non-social activities. The tribal leaders saw the morals of their community disintegrating. Hence, the need for the invention of a ‘Supreme Being’. The rest is history. Some ‘gods’ aren’t really gods ― but we treat them as such. Celebrities, the almighty dollar and twinkies, to name a few.

Epicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher (341 – 270 BCE).  His philosophy on the existence of God, and of death:

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?  Then he is not omnipotent.

Is he able, but not willing?  Then he is malevolent.

Is he both able and willing?  Then whence cometh evil?

Is he neither able nor willing?  Then why call him God?

On death: Death is the end of both body and soul, and should therefore not be feared.

 © 2007 by James M. Britvich All Rights Reserved

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Controlling the ‘Gimme Gimme’ Crowd

12 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by jbritt72 in Britt Michaels Tags: , , ,

Controlling the ‘Gimme Gimme’ Crowd

by Britt Michaels

(Su) 12 October, 2014

Controlling the ‘Gimme Gimme’ Crowd

Too many ‘gimme, gimme’ recipients are in their third or fourth generation. They crank out new recipients every day. They are stifling the economy in the present, and the future of our country. It’s time we break the chain of the free loading group. We need some draconian measures to weed out these vermin from our society. Those receiving handouts, without having to work for them, should have all second, and upward generations of those on welfare, rounded up, like cattle to be branded — and sterilized.

There will be a lot of snarling and gnashing of teeth over this viewpoint. First, by the current recipients. They want their Halloween goodie bags filled forever. Second, cries of racism will be spewed. Forty % of births in America are babies born out of wedlock. Most of these 40% are white. (How many are second generation, or higher?)

Further, Nazism will be sputtered out in protests. The Nazis intent was to annihilate the Jews, not limit their numbers of growth.

This is too drastic a solution, you say? Well, let’s look at other options. Curtailing the benefits that encourages this behavior. Welfare payments, extra free food stamps, housing payments, heating bills in winter, free phones, etc. Yes, but what chance has that of happening in congress and state legislatures. Right, almost none.

As an extension, this practice can also be used on illegal immigrants; along with elimination of free education, especially higher education, free health care (except emergency), automatic American citizen on birth here, etc.

The federal government wants to shift financial responsibility for care of illegal immigrants. L.A. County has 1.1 million of these illegals. How many tomato and watermelon pickers do we need? Many, if not most, are after the free benefits from government. They’re as lazy as our homegrown gimme, gimme crowd. Nuts to them!

Until we acquire the attitude of Newscaster Peter Finch, in the movie “Network” —  “we’re not going to take it anymore!” — we will never rid our problem of freeloading illegal immigrants. We must stop allowing illegally born babies to automatically becoming citizens of the USA.

Correct way to get rid of the illegal immigrants — have them leave of their own volition. How? Two ways. No handouts, such as free education, food stamps, medicare, money supplements …. They’ll get the hint the USA isn’t an easy touch any more.

Second way: No automatic citizenship, for illegals anchor babies born here — including their parents.

Instead, we are allowing low education, low skilled illegal immigrants to enter and assimilate into the American landscape, ignoring the need for educated illegal immigrants to flow over our borders. This is like making a sauce using inferior products. Remember the old computer analogy, GIGO – Garbage In, Garbage Out? That’s what we’re getting here with these low level illegals.

The Spanish group ”La Raca” (The Race) should be changed to “La Racista” (The Racist).

In 30 to 50 years, the children and grandchildren of the ‘gimme, gimme’ crowd are going to stomp on their family’s graves; shouting, “What have you done to our freedom and economy. We now have a degenerate lifestyle because of your selfish and self-centered greed”.

Their mission accomplished, the Liberal Democrats will jump and clap with glee.

[Below notation is unverified. Similar statements by several Australian PMs are also unverified.]

On February 4th, 2013, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, addressed the Duma, (Russian Parliament), and gave a speech about the tensions with minorities in Russia: “In Russia, live Russians. Any minority, from anywhere, if it wants to live in Russia, to work and eat in Russia, should speak Russian, and should respect the Russian laws. If they prefer Sharia Law, then we advise them to go to those places where that’s the state law. Russia does not need minorities. Minorities need Russia, and we will not grant them special privileges, or try to change our laws to fit their desires, no matter how loud they yell ‘discrimination’. We better learn from the suicides of America, England, Holland and France, if we are to survive as a nation. The Russian customs and traditions are not compatible with the lack of culture or the primitive ways of most minorities. When this honorable legislative body thinks of creating new laws, it should have in mind the national interest first, observing that the minorities are not Russians.”

The politicians in the Duma gave Putin a standing ovation for five minutes.

That’s the attitude we need to develop here in America, and around the world.

© 2014 by James M. Britvich All Rights Reserved

“Sticks and Stones . . .”

10 Aug 2014 Leave a comment

by jbritt72 in Britt Michaels

“Sticks and Stones. . .”

by Britt Michaels

(Su) August 10, 2014

“Sticks and Stones…”

When I was a kid in the ’40s and ’50s, if someone called us a name, we had a natural comeback.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.”

I don’t remember the last time I’ve heard that said in public.

The liberal press and politicians have disintegrated that saying. Now, you must be made to feel guilty for even hinting at applying a negative image towards one of their icons.

It’s gotten so, that we can’t criticize anything or anybody, that the liberal elements of our society deem ‘sacred’. It’s about time that we take back our free speech, attitudes and actions towards expressing our thoughts and words to the level of 50 to 100 years ago.

One of those icons is the Islam religion. If we make a fearful expression of their religious practices, and their demand for Sharia law operatives, we are said to be fearful of them and claim that we are Islamophobic.

You’re damn right we’re fearful of radical Islamic jihad groups. You kill groups and individuals who do not think and act like you do. Well, nuts to you diaper heads! Why do you always cover your heads and faces?   So you always have a hanky handy?  You know, biblical lepers covered their  heads and faces.  They were embarrassed about their condition.  You too?  

We should start treating these jihads like the mad dogs that they are.  So, call me an Islamophobe.  

“Sticks and Stones . .  . .”

In a July 4th parade this year in Nebraska, mocking Obama, a float depicted an outhouse as the Obama Library. Shouts of racism were screamed out against the the driver towing it. A colored woman with a young daughter was furious, saying this was the worst case of racism she has ever seen. She apparently hasn’t heard any of the racist ramblings from Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, over the years.

If Hillary Rotten Clinton, or some other woman gets elected president, we’ll go through the same racist/sexist rhetoric suffered during the current occupant in the White House, that these thin-skinned ‘victims’ cry about. How long will this last? Don’t know; but we should go back to having only white men as presidents and vice-presidents until these crybabies grow thicker skins, and can take criticism like the rest of us.

Of course, the big rage now in the press and Hollywood is about Queers. Stars coming out of the closet. Sports-queers and sports-dykes going public. Sometimes, I think these closet-queers just make it up, to enhance their careers.

If you make a negative or ambiguous comment – condemnation will beset you from all corners of the universe. Ask Tony Dungy about his remarks of the St. Louis Rams drafting Michael Sam. Dungy has reaped the scorn of sports writers, because he has become an icon in professional football.

Dungy said that this will be a distraction, not to his teammates or front office, but from the media attention. I disagree with this sentiment. Watch the cries of sexism towards queers if Sam doesn’t make the cut to be on the Ram’s squad or some other team on opening day. If the Rams cut him, there will be pressure from the press, game announcers and the NFL office for some team to pick him up – just to show the country our heart’s in the right place. Nuts to that.

Do I hate queers? No. Whatever you want to do in the privacy of your home, is fine with me. I just don’t want to be hammered about it in the news and public airwaves. I’m not going to change my attitude towards them. I’m not going to be made to feel guilty about not accepting the new norm of tolerance towards any deviate behavior now flaunted as forced acceptance. Neither should you.

Deviate behavior suck-ups in society have attacked dissidents unrelentingly for decades, for two reasons. First, to give the current dissident his “40 lashes” for speaking against the new standards of tolerance; second, to instill fear into anyone else considering in joining the fray against the current bombardment.

Will I get flack from these comments? Probably. Do I care?

“Sticks and stones . . . .”

© 2014 by James M. Britvich All Rights Reserved

Groundhog Day

01 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by jbritt72 in Uncategorized Tags:

Groundhog Day

 From my book,  Dear Diary, Action Packed Adventures of an Infant Boy

Today is Sunday, February 2nd. On the front page is a picture of a pudgy rodent with his head sticking out of the ground. Why would the Journal waste ink on some dumb animal? I look at Wizard, pointing at ‘Pudgy’ with a quizzical expression, ‘What’s with this?’

Wizard tells me it’s one of those strange rituals we have in society. The way I see it — according to the theory — Pudgy sticks his head out of his burrow; if he sees his shadow and returns to his hole, we will have six more weeks of winter. If Pudgy doesn’t see his shadow, spring will come early. Yeah, like some dumb animal is going to predict the weather. Does he check out almanacs and recent weather reports? I doubt it. 

They should change his name to Phoney Phil.

Fowl Play

31 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

by jbritt72 in Mel O'Drama Tags:

Fowl Play

by Mel O’Drama

December 17, 2007

(orig. publishing date)

Three feathered friends are suspected of robin’ Falcon‘s crest,

near the Swannee River. Two of them were apprehended

shortly thereafter. Martin Snipes was caught wren his pants

fell down to his ankles. He was saved further embarrassment

because he had his capon. Peli Dabchick, being out of shape,

was runnin’ and puffin’. Not being very swift, he was easy to

nab. What a par-a-keets!

At headquarters, the world-famous Chinese detective, Duck

Ling and his assistant, Jay Peacock, got this information from

the parrot them. They had their secretary bird take notes.

To this day, they still crow about it.

“We can make this very unpheasant for you two. If you don’t

want to get finched by an angry mob, you’d better squawk;

and don’t grouse about it.”

“Auk, go fly a kite. We ain’t cuckoo. We did it for a lark.”

“Gannet, Snipes. Toucan can play this game. Make it easier

on yourselves — or we can make it ruff on you. We’ll grab one

of your wings and pullet. Eider Owl do it ― or-i-ole! Tell us

who the ringleader is, or you’ll erne some jail time”

“I can’t swallow that. Why don’t you geese who he is. I was

there just chicken’ the place out. I can’t tell you who he is,

but Peli can.”

“Okay Pellie, it’s your tern, you bustard, who is he?”

“It’s Al Batross. He’s stork raven’ mad.”

“Tell us moa.”

“He’s a pigeon-toed marsh hen from outer space!”

“Oh boy, can you tell some whoopers. Here’s the

confessions. You two can use this penguin you’re

ready to cygnet. Then both you turkeys are going

to prison. Don’t expect any treats though, like apple-

gobblers. You’ll be there to poultries out of the

ground for myna myna years.”

© 2007 by James M. Britvich All Rights Reserved

Short Stuff 1

31 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

by jbritt72 in Uncategorized Tags:

Short Stuff 1

October 22, 2007

(orig. publishing date)

 Now that Al Gore has gotten the Nobel Prize

for his nursery rhyme story about the

dangers of global warming, he’s ready

to launch his next big global project:

Proving the Earth is flat.

 © 2007 by James M. Britvich All Rights Reserved

Wanted: Assertive Men

31 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

by jbritt72 in Britt Michaels Tags: ,

Wanted: Assertive Men

by Britt Michaels

February 18, 2008

(orig. publishing date)

Women keep looking for good men to have as boyfriends. They claim that they can’t find any. Wonder why? Look in the mirror. Unless you’re a vampire, you’ll see the answer.

 Western society has catered to women for ages. It has put them on pedestals, and in doing so, has turned them into spoiled brats. Women complain that men are all jerks. All men aren’t. A lot of women are.

 Look at movies, TV commercials, and other sexual competitive roles in life. If a woman asserts herself against a man ― you’ll get a pumped raised fist great! Have a man stand his ground to a woman, and he’s a sexist.

Take Valentine’s Day. Men are admonished in ads not to forget or chintz on gifts for the woman in their lives. They’ll pay havoc if they do. How many ads did you see or hear warning women about the trouble they’ll be in if they neglect the man in their lives? Right, zero.

Women, you wonder why you’re not treated ‘with respect’? You have to express respect in kind. You must give to receive.

Women have grown to be selfish by society ― or maybe it’s in their genes.

Another element in this excessive display of pompous behavior has to be attributed to the SOWs (Sorority Of Whingers). On the surface, their cause is of equality. Nuts to that! They have used tactics to effeminate men. Since the early 60’s, their goal has been to make men woozy beings. They have done this making men embarrassed to stand up for their beliefs. The SOWs have decreed any man asserting himself as a sexist. This has caused most men to buckle under that threat. (Note: black racist have used the same tactics, with equal success).

Some men have overreacted to these tactics, by becoming jerks.

Women play games. Say they’re not interested in money, car, type of jobs…. That’s the first things they ask you about.

© 2008 by James M. Britvich All Rights Reserved

Rube Goldbergs

30 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

by jbritt72 in "Mr. Wishy-Washy" Tags:

Rube Goldbergs

by “Mr. Wishy-Washy”

October 22, 2007

(orig. publishing date)

I’ve found another group of people who are here on earth just to completely aggravate me. Computers are the contemporary Rube Goldbergs in the communication world. People associated with programming them are the culprits. Working off-line is generally trouble-free for me. Word processing, spreadsheets, stuff like that. Going into the outside world of cyberspace is like bumping into an ogre. Nothing but trouble. I read Q & A’s about programs concerning lost files, error messages and such. New, or revised versions are the worst. Always claiming this replacement should eliminate the current list of bugs, they’ve revised the bugs, or created new demons.

I’ve been roaming ‘the gremlin’s domain’ in a spaceship named Confusion, for a year now. While attacking my keyboard with well-meaning attempts to hopscotch through the barrage of programs, I consistently kept hearing loud metallic clanging sounds from my laptop. I’d stop my work, and lightly shake it to find the source of the noise. Finding none, I’d go back to work. Shortly, the clanging sounds return. I then disconnected the connections, turned it over and undid the covers. I found nothing loose. “What the hell’s going on here?” I put everything back together and started up again. There it goes again!! (Have any of you other newbies gone through this?)

Carefully analyzing the situation, I figured it out. It’s not the hardware. It’s the software. It’s the work of the sadistic programmers. They throw in a lot of monkey wrenches into the works. Bumping into them creates the noises. I haven’t stopped getting them. Not by a long shot, but now I know what they are, and how to handle them. I wear earmuffs to muffle the sounds while on the ‘Net.

The programmers mentor of course, is Bill Gates. Need I say more. No, but I will. After XP started in 2001, Bill Gates and his henchmen started working on a new Operating System with the given name of ‘Vista’. Even before being released late last year, with still many many bugs to fix, the next generation was already given a name! The original name was ‘Blackcomb’; since then, changed to ‘Vienna’. It’s already in the planning stage. They should have changed the first name to ‘Black hole’. That way, no new system would ever be needed again. No details on the features and improvements were given for this latest mind trap. Suffice to say that features and improvements are euphemisms for monkey wrenches.

The worse the offenders of life are, the deeper in hell they should burn. High on the list are ambulance-chasing lawyers, telemarketers, road-ragers, and others that affect your life. Add to the list, computer programmers.

Why are all these new Operating Systems being developed. Why not stay with one of the earlier versions, say Windows 2000, and just keep debugging it and improving the internal configurations in other beneficial ways? There’s big money keeping the computer world in chaos. Notice the similarity in the spelling of money and monkey (wrenches). More than just a coincidence. Look at all the jobs created. New programs and revisions of these new programs. Memory chip makers to increase abilities of CPUs to handle the constant barrage of new monkey wrenches. Newspaper columnists answering questions from users concerning lost files, error messages, overcoming ‘revised’ program glitches and other bugs ……

Why is Bill Gates worth billions? He’s made billions on the operating systems. Sure; but there’s more. The IRS has prided itself as the epitome of complexity. After looking at the his O.S.s and how they create more problems and frustration with every new system, they were humbled. The chief of the IRS conceded that Gates is really good. No, the best, at creating trouble for computer users. They hired him (and his henchmen), to completely revise the tax code. That’s why tax forms and instructions have become even more of a nightmare the last 15 years or so. The next time you do your taxes ― think Bill Gates.

It goes on and on and on. Could it be the computer world is in existence just for the pleasure of these sadists, and not us users. Yeah, that be it. Am I being too cynical? Maybe, but I doubt it.

© 2007 by James M. Britvich All Rights Reserved

China, the New 800 Pound Gorilla

28 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

by jbritt72 in Won Kow Dung Tags:

China, the New 800 Pound Gorilla

by Won Kow Dung

November 05, 2007

(orig. publishing date)

Do not remove a fly from your friend’s forehead with a hatchet. ― Chinese proverb

Calling America a friend by China is an exaggeration. China, as other countries, are users of others for its own means. It used the U.N. to get Taiwan (Republic of China) to be replaced by the mainland, to become the representatives of China. It used the U.S. to get into The World Trade Organization. It will again use us, to get the renegade Taiwan back into the clutches of Communist China, by threatening to stop supporting our debt, when they feel the time is right.

Before WTO’s inclusion, China was a large populated sleepy agricultural community. Now, with its large population and industrial clout, it’s becoming an 800 pound gorilla. We must learn something, and quickly, from this smart-ass attitude of China. They make defective products; then admonish us for complaining about it. The reliance we have on them, economically (business) and fiscally (government), is too dangerous. We have allowed China to develop a virtual monopoly over our economy. No uncontrolled monopoly can go unchecked, without creating severe consequences.

It’s like a cancer (literally). A terminal cancer goes on a rampage throughout an organ, or the whole body, and ultimately destroys it with death. Thereby, the cancerous cells commit suicide. When the body dies, so does the cancer. So China and Japan must gingerly feed the cancer, (our massive debt), and slowly reduce their large influx of our debt.

As of June 2006 our treasury debt was $8.5 trillion. We consume 52% of the debt through domestic borrowing. By June 2007, the debt is now $8.9 trillion, (65% GDP). We now consume 45% of the debt through domestic borrowing. Mostly through the savings accounts of Social Security and Medicare. The private sectors contribute from state and local governments, investors, public and private pension funds, insurance companies, U.S. Saving bonds and bank and credit unions. Foreign governments contribute 27%, a 2% increase since June 2006. As a group, Japan and China are the biggest ones. Other major buyers of our debt: United Kingdom and the oil exporting countries. Most other countries, including smaller nations, throw in a few bucks every year, through T-bills.

Though Japan almost doubles China’s holding of our federal debt, China’s is more troubling. I don’t fear that Japan has visions of takeovers. I do, with China. It has far too much of our imports. Though now an industrial nation, it’s still a Communist one. They are developing nuclear weapons. They sell conventional weapons to radical countries in the Middle East. They want Taiwan back. I don’t trust them. Its support of our national debt has become too large in a few short years. We must attack this 800 pound gorilla on two fronts. As consumers, we can help control the influx of imports by buying as little as possible. I, for one, buy Chinese stuff, begrudgingly, only when I really have to, like shoes. When looking at manufacturer’s, don’t be mislead by the distributor’s info. Most often it’s an American company. Check the ‘Made in’ part. It’s usually ‘Made in China’.

I’m shopping around for new eyeglasses. I’ve checked out three places. Two have virtually all Chinese frames. The third has frames from Japan, Korea, Italy and of course, China. The prices are close in pricing. China: $90 (only 2 that I saw) to $160 (average) to $250 (high-end). Others: $160 (low) to $230 (average) to $320 (high). For an average of $70 more, I can buy something I want. To me, the extra cost is more than acceptable. I have a choice. That’s what I want. I’ll pay more for that if I have to. I’ll be buying my glasses from the third eye wear shop.

The other front is action by the federal government. It must either put a higher tariff on Chinese imports, or put a dollar or unit limit on Chinese good. This will allow and encourage other countries to get into our markets. If we, as consumers, must rattle its cage, (our federal government) to get this done, then we must. We want choices.

© 2007 by James M. Britvich All Rights Reserved 

The Train Wreck

28 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

by jbritt72 in Mel O'Drama Tags:

The Train Wreck

by Mel O’Drama

February 04, 2008

(orig. publishing data)

 

Three woman are having lunch at Rozay’s restaurant.

 “Veronica, you don’t look well, are you all right?”, Caroline asked.

 “I have these dull, throbbing pains in both my legs. I started getting them around 8:00 yesterday morning. Nothing’s wrong with them. I just feel slightly numb in both legs, like I shouldn’t even be able to walk. Strange.”

 The third woman, Gina, is reading the front page of the morning paper. “That saying, ‘about something being a train wreck’, really happened in Carterville yesterday, about eight in the morning.” Showing the front page to the other two, she remarks, “I’m glad I wasn’t on that train.”

Caroline, with a puzzling look, asks Veronica, “Weren’t you suppose to be on that train for your monthly visit to your folks in Carterville?”

“Yes, but a strange series of small events happened, and I missed the train. I always set out my clothes for the trip, the night before. For some inexplicable reason, I forgot to do it Tuesday night. You two know how flustered I get when my schedule is screwed up. Next, I burnt my bacon and had to make another batch. Then a button broke on the blouse I planned on wearing. By now, it’s 6:20. I decided I won’t make the 6:35 train in time. I called my folks and told them what happened, and I’d see them next week.”

 Caroline and Gina get up to leave. “Sorry we have to go”, Gina says, “Say ‘Hi’ to Sally for us.”

After they leave the restaurant, a man from the next table gets up and seats himself at Veronica’s table. “I heard your conversation, and   I’m embarrassed to say, it’s my fault that you’re so distressed”, he said.

Veronica thinks, ‘That’s a pick-up line I’ve never heard before’.

“You humans have sayings like ‘He dodged a bullet’, or ‘It wasn’t his time to go’. Those incidents that death or serious injury were miraculously avoided were not from blind lucky. They were orchestrated from above. I am called a ‘Custodian of Life’. Many people have events similar to yours. Something happened, and they missed their destiny with tragedy, without ever giving it a thought why things happened as it did. That’s because a Custodian tweaked some minor elements of the day affecting the recipient’s live only. Times and places were so slightly changed. As an example, a man gets a phone call just before leaving the house. It causes him getting caught at a traffic light, missing getting into a serious accident down the road. Stuff like that.”

“The train wreck did happen. If you had been on that train, you would have had both your legs crushed beyond repair, needing amputations. You were my first assignment, and I botched it up a bit. Not by much. Just enough to let you have phantom pains. My superiors are correcting that oversight of mine as we speak. Very shortly, the pain will abate. So will the memory of our meeting. Because the wreck happened without you in it, the conversation you just had with your friends here, will be different.”

Veronica says, “Even though I think you’re a kook, there’s no way I could forget what’s just happened!”

 “You will. Savor these few minutes, realizing a spiritual force saved you legs. Don’t try to keep the memory alive, though …. Let it go.”

 The Custodian rises from his chair and doffs his hat to her. He pays his bill and walks out the door, holding it open for a woman entering   Rozay’s. All the while, Veronica watches him leave with her mouth slightly agape.

Her friend, Sally, sits at the table. “Do you know that man who just left?”, she asks.

 “Never saw him before.” Veronica says offhandedly.

 “So, how are you feeling, Ronnie?”, Sally asks.

 “Great! Couldn’t feel any better. Everything is fine.”

 Sally says, “You were suppose to be on that train that wrecked yesterday, weren’t you?”

 “Yes, I was. A couple of small things happened, that changed yesterday’s schedule. Looks like I was really lucky to miss that train. It’s just one of those things, I guess.”

  © 2008 by James M. Britvich All Rights Reserved 

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