jhm

There are a few phrases that, while not quite the truth, are not complete lies either. The two that I will examine in this issue are “NASCAR is rigged” and “Jesus Hates Me”.
Both of these sayings will anger people. NASCAR fanatics are almost as bad as jesus worshippers, and cause worse traffic jams, albeit only twice a year locally. While I rather doubt that NASCAR is actually rigged, I cannot dismiss it completely. After all, how else do you explain the phenomenon of Jeff Gordon.
The other Phrase that pays…”Jesus Hates Me”…is a bit more troubling. It too will anger a great many people, who will cheerfully show you the truth of it , given the opportunity. Yes, jesus is a spirit that lives in the heart of those who believe in him. He has little to do with the historic figure that may or may not have lived in Palestine 2000 years ago. Jesus is a spirit, and what better way to meet this spirit than through his believers.
And he is UGLY.
Now, lots of people make excuses for jesus, and say that what his believers do is just what his believers do. On the other hand, these believers say that jesus changed their life, that he made them what they are today. So, jesus made you a hateful arrogant loudmouth. I believe you.
As some of you know, I spent seven years recently working closely with a professional jesus worshipper. Once he did say something I agreed with.
He had a temper tantrum, directed at me in front of witnesses. He said some offensive things about my deceased parents ( your momma is gone, your daddy is gone, but you are not alone). He ranted and shouted, humiliating me and making me feel like I was an inch tall. The last thing he said….”what you see is jesus, changing my life”
….”what you see is jesus, changing my life”
….”what you see is jesus, changing my life”
It does not make me happy to feel that jesus hates me, because I know that most of his worshippers will hate me as well. That is what jesus does for people.
But it is the truth. Unless, jesus is just the invention of hateful man, in which case it is hateful man that hates me, because of jesus.

surprise

Surprise, it has been another day.
I am working in Marietta this week, which involves driving on the evil I 285. So far, going west at 730 am from Glenridge Road has not been too bad.
To get to Glenridge, I drive down a stretch of Johnson Ferry, past all the hospitals, over hwy 400 and on to the perimeter. I used to take this route to 400 when I was working there 20 years ago. Believe it or not, there are some parts of that road that still look the same today as they did in 1986. Of course, there is a massive sewer project on Nancy Creek, tacky housing galore, and the Hwy 400 extension, so change has not passed this neighborhood by.

After a while,I go back home, write a check, and walk up to the mailbox at the airport to mail it. This involves going through the forest behind the house I used to live in, which is like visiting an old friend. I need to take some clippers with me next time I go to clear some of the vines from the trail...it looks like no one has taken my place on that chore.
It is now 10:43 pm, and I will need to get up at 6. When I got home today I was dog tired, and needed a major effort to get up and do something. Now, when I should be thinking about sleep, I have some energy, and feel good about life. Maybe I should stay up for a while and enjoy this, knowing that tomorrow will take care of itself out in big chicken country.

Easter

Unpleasant reality has kept me from posting lately. The quagmire of unemployment was wearing my spirits down, and my mental health was in a nosedive.
Of course, things are a touch better now. I am a week and a half into a job, and things are looking good on that front. I got a call from another company that I interviewed with, but I was already taken, and in a better situation. While this struggle is not over, things are brighter now.
The last couple of days I have enjoyed. It is spring, the azaleas and dogwoods are blooming, and I got a vegetable garden started in the back yard. When you are out of work, Saturday is just another day, but after 40 hours on the job, you feel like you have earned it. Of course, in the blueprint business, weekend overtime is a part of the game. This is good for the bank account, but I do enjoy my time off. I have enjoyed this two day weekend, because I know that it may be a while before I see another one.
Could it be that this is what Easter is all about? The renewal of the life cycle, celebrated on the Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. While the jesus worshippers are hooting about the death and resurrection of J-boi, they ignore the other possibilities. There is a tendency to confuse the medium and the message in that arrogant belief system, and one day I will learn to ignore the noise and enjoy my life.