Posted by Ted (205.188.193.184) on August 01, 2000 at 08:12:14:
In Reply to: Okay, lets try this again.... posted by Carl D on August 01, 2000 at 07:32:20:
alphabetizing your extensive list of bugs," he used to tell me, "without the proper light. That's where you get your headaches from."
So I sat on the curb, contemplating life. "Wait a minute," I thought. I had such a royal epiphany that I felt like the Messiah coming to passover on a non-exploding Concorde jet. "I may be done with the past, but the past is not done with me!" Yes!!! That's it. I came to the realization with something so revealous that I had to share it with the world. MY LIFE HAD MEANING AGAIN!!! MY LIFE HAD MEANING AGAIN!!!
Just then a youngen passed me by. He was, I don't know. Between 7 and 59 years old. I knew he was so much younger or oler than I.
"Boy," I shouted. "Boy, you have to listen to me. I have wisdom through my ages that if was imparted upon me at your age, be it younger or older, I would have or will be much the greater for it." Just as I finished my sentence I noticed that two men were carrying a mirror across the street and that I was merely looking and talking to my own reflection. That was OK. I did mention that if I was older the words would still benefit me. And here I was. So much younger than the potential 59 year old. This was how I knew that I was both giving and getting wise advice. I was listening to it at my age. But at the same time I was giving it at my father's younger brother's age.
I must have sat on that curb for no less then 15 minutes beforeI realized that I couldn't impart my wisdom on any passersby. So I got up and went home. "Papa. Listen to me. Papa. My words to you are going to be like a marlin caught on twine off a stick."
"Who the fuck are you all of a sudden with this 'papa' crap and the fish shit? Arnie Hemmingway?"
His Brooklyn accent took away from my Cuban accent and sent us both back to our Wisconsin Mid-West accent.
"Dad," I said. "We may be done with the past but the past isn't done with us."
"Great son. I watched Magnolia with you last night and...
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