October 04, 2004

Fear Not

“Noland, I’ve got question for you.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll do my best. Where are you?”

“I’m over at the golf pro’s condo. I’m working on his bathroom and his fire alarm is beeping. He tells me It has been for ten days, and he doesn’t know why. Can you believe that? Anyway, I want to change the battery, but the alarm is hard wired. If I disconnect it, will it alert the fire station?”

“No. I don’t know why it’s hard wired but we’ve changed our battery without fire trucks showing up at the door.”

“That’s good, I didn’t think it was, but I wanted to be sure.”

“What are you going to do when I’m gone?”

“Gone? You’re not going anywhere.”

“Oh, I’m not huh? Well, that’s not the way things work. I’m getting to the end of this trip. Let me tell you something else. I talked to an old friend of mine in California. He had one of those mini-strokes. He’s three years younger than me. He says he’s tired all the time. I told him that’s the way it is with these things. It takes time to get better, but he can’t see it. I sat down and wrote him a four page letter. I gave him my thoughts... “

“I hope you made a copy of that letter for me. I know how hard it is for you to write these days. I’d love to have a copy.”

“Aaa, well, I put it in the mail yesterday.”

“What did it say.”

“I told him about the good lord’s plan for us and what happens afterward. Where we’re going. As I said it was four pages long.”

Sounds like you think it’s more that just the stroke that’s bothering him. He must be afraid of dying, no?”

“Death happens to all of us. You know what my father used to say? ‘You’re not afraid to be born, why should you be afraid to die?’ “

Noland's lucky he hasn't been killed, either by an ex wife or some other such victim. But I agree, that 4 page letter must have been one for the books.

Posted by niceladyagain.

Fallacy somewhere, I fancy. Lotsa reasons why the newborn aren't "afraid", as we know the term, and the howling entry of most may belie that notion anyway. And lotsa reasons why most more mature folks are, though many know or believe enough not to be. But where does a bigoted, violent misogynist find the peace in himself, not only to not be afraid of death, but from his self-possession to counsel others, tell them "how things are"? The lord ( ? ) does indeed move in quite mysterious ways.....

Posted by near side of satori.

Posted by Michael at October 4, 2004 03:46 PM
Comments

Noland's lucky he hasn't been killed, either by an ex wife or some other such victim. But I agree, that 4 page letter must have been one for the books.

Posted by: niceladyagainat October 5, 2004 05:37 PM

Fallacy somewhere, I fancy. Lotsa reasons why the newborn aren't "afraid", as we know the term, and the howling entry of most may belie that notion anyway. And lotsa reasons why most more mature folks are, though many know or believe enough not to be. But where does a bigoted, violent misogynist find the peace in himself, not only to not be afraid of death, but from his self-possession to counsel others, tell them "how things are"? The lord ( ? ) does indeed move in quite mysterious ways.....

Posted by: near side of satoriat October 5, 2004 07:52 PM