posted on February 21, 2006 08:31:30 AM new
Something happened to me yesterday that I'd like to share with you all. I feel like it was a very important moment in my life and sadly, I may have dropped the ball and missed something.
Because I am left with a feeling of undoneness. Sorry this is long, but I really needed to share.
I was at the Walmart waiting for my prescription to be filled. I was told it would be another 45 minutes. I took a seat beside an old man to wait. Immediately I felt uncomfortable, because the poor old soul smelled of urine and unwashed clothing, and I was about to get up and move when he began talking to me.. This unfortunate individual, had one bottom tooth in his head, only one, his breath was rancid, his eyes wet and rhumy....but when he spoke to me, I was stunned to hear the words that came out of his mouth.
He poured his politics all over me, in a most intelligent and eloquent manner. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.. the man was a walking encyclopedia.. he knew facts, dates, and events from the past 100 years and could explain in detail every possible event, historic, political, not only that, he quietly but urgently wanted me to know how he knew these things and all the wrongness and rightness about them. Once in a while he would stop and ask me a question to check and see if I was understanding it all.
I finally couldn't help myself and I asked him how he had become so knowledgeable and had come to know so much in detail. He smiled that one tooth smile and with a twinkle in his old blue/yellow eyes he said he was blessed with a good brain and a photographic memory...he retained and remembered everything he read and had the intelligence to be able to determine the truth from fiction.
He told me he had written a book on politics and what has gone on these past 70 years plus, 350 pages long. I asked him if he was published and he laughed and said no.. but maybe once he was gone someone would get it published for him.
I asked him if he couldn't share some of his thoughts on the Internet etc.. and he said, little lady, I don't have enough money to pay for the medication I need for my diabetes or to put food in my refrigerator, or to heat my trailer.. I felt foolish.
My prescription was ready and they called me to collect it, so I had to leave him. He said goodbye and then said maybe it will be you who gets my book published for me once I've gone....I think it will be you.
I walked away feeling so unsettled, like I had failed a very important test. He is on my mind still. Here was this urine soaked, decrepit old soul, barely hanging onto life, without a penny to his name, not knowing where his next meal was coming from, ignored by the living and yet possessing one of the most brilliant minds that I have ever encountered in anyone in my lifetime.. I think in some small way, my listening to him and I mean really listening to him gave him something. But I should have done more. Here was my test, and I failed.
posted on February 21, 2006 10:38:12 AM new
"Immediately I felt uncomfortable, because the poor old soul smelled of urine and unwashed clothing, and I was about to get up and move when he began talking to me.. This unfortunate individual, had one bottom tooth in his head, only one, his breath was rancid, his eyes wet and rhumy."
posted on February 21, 2006 11:56:33 AM new
Here you were thinking that this was a great mind, lost to the streets, when all the time he was just using his knowledge to captivate you into listening to him so he could possibly get a better look at your boobs.
posted on February 21, 2006 12:00:19 PM new
Ron, I didn't mention it because it may have been a very foolish thing to do.. but I gave him my name and address. He said he didn't have a phone and I didn't ask for his address..but he seemed so anxious to have someone read his writings that I took a chance and gave a complete stranger my name and address. If my husband knew, he would be very upset with me, especially since I live a good deal of the year alone..so one day his manuscript may turn up at my door..
posted on February 21, 2006 12:06:58 PM new
Maggie, we all need someone to make us feel important. For the little time you spent with that man, you made him feel like he was important, so you didn't fail. You listened to him and conversed with him where others would have fluffed him off as a loser just because of his appearance.
I agree with Washington. You should try and find that man and maybe see if you can help him in some way. Of course, he might have been an angel and you'll never see him again.
posted on February 21, 2006 02:02:24 PM new
Maggie, don't worry about it. I bet you could take him in a fight. After all, what's he gonna do, bite you with one tooth?
Dr. Arcane, revelator of mystical secrets
http://www.drarcane.com
Got questions about the secrets of the universe?
[ edited by DrArcane on Feb 21, 2006 02:03 PM ]
posted on February 21, 2006 02:04:15 PM new
ROFLMAO!! DR.ARCANE Bless his heart..
I should have given him some money though.
[ edited by maggiemuggins on Feb 21, 2006 02:05 PM ]
posted on February 21, 2006 02:11:25 PM new
COLIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Actually the guy in the photo is a beauty compared with the old gent I met.
Okay, guys, I have 3 pistols, 2 shotguns and a high power rifle scattered in different rooms of the house, all loaded....now you've got me paranoid..LOL
posted on February 21, 2006 02:14:23 PM new
Actually that brings up another bothersome worry, if your house is filled with loaded guns and boxes of ammunition and there is a fire, will all those bullets explode??
posted on February 21, 2006 02:26:38 PM new
Yes they will explode but if your not out of the house before that you won't hear it anyway.
Amen,
Reverend Colin http://www.reverendcolin.com
posted on February 21, 2006 02:28:23 PM new
No they will not explode. The powder must be ignited not heated.
It will go poof & push the projectile out of the case though.
"“More Iraqis think things are going well in Iraq than Americans do. I guess they don’t get the New York Times over there.”—Jay Leno".
[ edited by Bear1949 on Feb 21, 2006 02:56 PM ]
posted on February 21, 2006 03:20:30 PM new
Have ya ever thrown a few 22's in a campfire? They explode when they reach the right temperature and it makes everyone sitting around spill their beer.
ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø
[ edited by piinthesky on Feb 21, 2006 03:24 PM ]
posted on February 21, 2006 03:29:05 PM new
I had several old 45's go off in my burn pile yesterday & i was only 15 feet away. All they did was gp POP. Hardly even kicked up any dust.
"“More Iraqis think things are going well in Iraq than Americans do. I guess they don’t get the New York Times over there.”—Jay Leno".
posted on February 21, 2006 07:46:46 PM new
I doubt if he would hurt a fly. He just needed someone who would show some interest in some of the things he liked to talk about. I have met people at the Flea Market like that. The last guy I talked to that had a ton of knowledge about a lot of things,I talked to at a Peddlers Mall. He was so interesting to listen to.
**********************************
Two men sit behind bars,one sees mud the other sees stars.
posted on February 21, 2006 08:07:26 PM newI didn't mention it because it may have been a very foolish thing to do.. but I gave him my name and address
