privacy. privation. privileged.

Lent wears on.  It has hardly been a week; I am edgy and distressed, easily distracted and often tearful -- woeful, even.  Jehovah's Witnesses came by the other day & their little magazine was about Armegeddon.  I said to them, carelessly, "First of all, I'm shoddy on Revelations; there's no way in.  Second, John the Baptist said before he was killed that whoever believed in the Son of Man has eternal life, so good!  Why are you ladies worried?"

It is always the same woman at the door, paired with a younger woman, always different.  The elder woman wanted to fuss about the source of the eternal life quote & I told her, "It is Lent, and I am cross.  Don't test me."  And she did not, because I have wowed her & her companion many times with my readiness to talk about the Bible chapter & verse.  Then we talked about their special-feature (God Almighty!) Watchtower insert about social media and I told them I think everyone has lost their mind.  They agreed.

 

 

The children were on the phone today with an old beau, who was explaining to them -- in his folksy, homespun, indisputable way -- about the importance of flossing and bacteria + halitosis and heart disease -- I could not really follow it.  It all happened when I reported we had been at the dentist & there was a report of noted flosslessness and he demanded to be put on speakerphone & then he started in with a lecture to them.

 

During this lecture, while I was desultorily sorting the mail, my brain just ran a crazy, loud, pop-up .avi file of something which happened between he & me many, many years ago. It was the kind of a thing I had not thought of in more than a decade, if ever I had.  I was so pole-axed by this unbidden recollection my chewing gum fell right out of my mouth.  It was just so strange, amidst the cheery, 3rd-party influence upon children he has never met + recipe swaps + a huge job as one of my main fixers, now, to think of how we were then, plus everything in between and to say to myself, while I picked up my chewing gum off of the Anthropologie catalog, I see why this fire still burns.

I blame my Lenten action, is all I know.  I miss everybody, everything, and no one will live forever, not one of us.  So much crying, and Harvey Keitel is really, really mean!  He broke my thing!  You guys!  Bisous.   

 

 

 

Comments

[Becky]

Hmmm. Good post. I like the moment when your gum falls out of your mouth. The past is not even past, like they say.

I am both amused and agog that you are willing to parry with the JW's. I just can't stand 'em.

So much Lenten crying! I hope it is easing up. xo

[Anthony]

"It is Lent, and I am cross"
Because you didn't then say 'if you'll excuse the expression.' and then waggle your eyebrows lavaciously, you will alway be a better person than me.

[santos.]

good it was just your gum falling out of your mouth and not your gums

[Sailor Jerry]

Oh my. Well I've certainly a strong suspicion that my fate is sealed against me ever knowing what led to this validation, but I must tell you this is rather perfectly and uncharacteristically decorous and understated. I have to say that coming from you it is quite nearly romantic. In fact, you've been a fine choice for all of these years particularly in your outstanding performances which ever involve any members of my family.

I'm certain it probably must surely break your heart for your own flesh & blood to be so cavalier regarding the particulars of dental hygiene but they seem relaxed and capable and in possession of other of your leading qualities.

[curious]

I have been obsessing on Harvey Keitel, particularly in that movie Bad Timing since I have discovered there is a whole genre of coma movies.

[lala]

Hi, everyone!

Santos, there is a v apropos dentures joke lurking within somehow. Too hard!

Anthony, I love the word "waggle." And I am v serious, usually, even if I am being totally ridiculous.

Becky, I think they are fine. They just want to talk about Scripture & so we do. I do not have a plan for when they acclimate to the situation of Willing BibleTalker & I am not any longer in control.

Kowalski, I was trying to give you some plausible deniability. Anyhow, it's not a secret to you. Behave.

Ms Minty, I read that & thought it was Bad Lieutenant, but then remembered that is not a coma movie. It just puts the viewer into a coma bc it is boring and disgusting at once. xoxo

Carry on, all!