Everyone gave up on me, including me, everyone but my best friend, Poopsie Wonder. Ms. Wonder reasoned that as long as there was breath in my body, something in the wind might stir me; as long as there was moisture in my cells, the sea might have some telling wisdom; as long as the temperature was close to 98.6, a spark might remain to be fanned into flame.
In other words, as long as I was alive, there was hope. I know! Imagine that! Talk about stalwart resolution. I later learned that it's hard-coded into the descendants of the Russian steppes.
Poopsie knew that if anyone in Houston could speak the word in season, it was Cowboy Dan, a devotee of Wen, The Eternally Surprised. Dan condensed his life into a 20-minute verbal documentary and a miracle occurred as I sat listening. Well, two miracles all told. The first was that I listened. The second was that I forgot my hopelessness and began to be grateful that I had escaped the destruction that had plagued Dan.
Poopsie knew that if anyone in Houston could speak the word in season, it was Cowboy Dan, a devotee of Wen, The Eternally Surprised. Dan condensed his life into a 20-minute verbal documentary and a miracle occurred as I sat listening. Well, two miracles all told. The first was that I listened. The second was that I forgot my hopelessness and began to be grateful that I had escaped the destruction that had plagued Dan.
Talk about a smash-up! But Dan had found a way to turn his life around and his new life was just what I wanted for myself. I began to wonder how this was possible.
"How is this possible," I asked Dan. "How did you do it?"
"It's simple," said Dan. "Anyone can do it."
"Do you think that I can do it?" I asked.
"I know you can," he assured me. "The fact is," Genome, "you just don't have to live that way anymore."
"Will you help me?" I asked.
"I'll offer you some guidance," he said, "but there are conditions."
"Anything," I said.
He mused. He pursed the lips and moved them this way and that. It's a technique that seems to help people think but it's never worked for me. Perhaps you use it, perhaps not, but that's what he did. Then he spoke.
"OK, here are the conditions," he said. "I will not be your teacher but I will attempt to guide you. You must be willing to try anything that I suggest. If I think you are not willing, I will stop working with you. Agreed?"
"You mean you want me as an apprentice?" I asked, overjoyed that there might be hope for me yet.
"Of course not," he said, "Don't be silly. Why would I want that? Just be over at my place tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM. We've got a lot of work to do and the sooner we begin, the better."
Next morning, I was up early--with the larks and snails apparently--and I got to his place on time with the book he'd loaned me. I didn't know it then but we were people of the book too but unlike all the other people of the book, we were allowed to improve ours from time to time. To update it as it were.
I was anxious to begin and drank the first cup of Jah's Mercy.
"Ready to begin?" he asked.
"I am," I said.
"Come over here with me," he said and I followed him to a small closet in the corner of the kitchen.
"Lesson number one," he said, handing me a broom and then taking out a second for himself.
"One hand here and the other here," he said. "People never get it right. Smooth even strokes," he said demonstrating the move. "Let the broom do the work. Just a small amount each time--like that. Don't try to get all the dirt in one go, you just wind up spreading it around."
I gave him a look. It felt questioning to me but it must have come across differently to him.
"Don't worry," he said, "no one gets it right the first time. It takes practice to get really good."
And that's how I became an apprentice of Wen, The Eternally Surprised. Since mastering the broom, I have added the fan and the umbrella to my accomplishments. I'm now working on the walking cane. Life just gets better and better in the Program. I hope you have one.
"How is this possible," I asked Dan. "How did you do it?"
"It's simple," said Dan. "Anyone can do it."
"Do you think that I can do it?" I asked.
"I know you can," he assured me. "The fact is," Genome, "you just don't have to live that way anymore."
"Will you help me?" I asked.
"I'll offer you some guidance," he said, "but there are conditions."
"Anything," I said.
He mused. He pursed the lips and moved them this way and that. It's a technique that seems to help people think but it's never worked for me. Perhaps you use it, perhaps not, but that's what he did. Then he spoke.
"OK, here are the conditions," he said. "I will not be your teacher but I will attempt to guide you. You must be willing to try anything that I suggest. If I think you are not willing, I will stop working with you. Agreed?"
"You mean you want me as an apprentice?" I asked, overjoyed that there might be hope for me yet.
"Of course not," he said, "Don't be silly. Why would I want that? Just be over at my place tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM. We've got a lot of work to do and the sooner we begin, the better."
Next morning, I was up early--with the larks and snails apparently--and I got to his place on time with the book he'd loaned me. I didn't know it then but we were people of the book too but unlike all the other people of the book, we were allowed to improve ours from time to time. To update it as it were.
I was anxious to begin and drank the first cup of Jah's Mercy.
"Ready to begin?" he asked.
"I am," I said.
"Come over here with me," he said and I followed him to a small closet in the corner of the kitchen.
"Lesson number one," he said, handing me a broom and then taking out a second for himself.
"One hand here and the other here," he said. "People never get it right. Smooth even strokes," he said demonstrating the move. "Let the broom do the work. Just a small amount each time--like that. Don't try to get all the dirt in one go, you just wind up spreading it around."
I gave him a look. It felt questioning to me but it must have come across differently to him.
"Don't worry," he said, "no one gets it right the first time. It takes practice to get really good."
And that's how I became an apprentice of Wen, The Eternally Surprised. Since mastering the broom, I have added the fan and the umbrella to my accomplishments. I'm now working on the walking cane. Life just gets better and better in the Program. I hope you have one.