Insane Earthlings

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 The President chose this scripture for the memorial service in Dallas. The President noted that he had made these eulogies too many times during his tenure. I have watched too many. One was too many. But what have I done?   Raised my voice on social media in outrage? What else? Not much. Not enough. He went on to say after referencing this passage from Ezekiel that America needs a new heart. An open heart. He is right. But if G-d is a cardiologist I think he would recommend that America have open heart surgery. He needs to wield his heavenly scalpel and make an incision in our chest and part the flesh. He needs to saw through our sternum and open a wide cavity. He needs to use his almighty strength to pluck the stony waste of organ that we call heart from our bodies. And I pray that he casts our old...

I knew something was up from the moment he walked in. I had recently been promoted to Pharmacy Technician. From behind the elevated pharmacy counter I had a clear view to the front door.   He had that look that junkies get. You’ve seen it. Wired, agitated, and worn down. My parents knew the owner of a small but busy drugstore that was tucked away in a tiny strip mall on a back street. That’s how I got the job.   In the growing southern city I lived in, that was how college kids like me found work. We knew someone.   In the mid to late eighties, knowing someone was important. At first I ran deliveries. This consisted of delivering prescriptions to the wealthy white people who lived to the south of our store and to black people, mired in poverty, living to the west side of town. The disparity was striking. He approached the lower check-out counter directly in front of me and the pharmacist on duty. Like I said, I knew something was up. Often people who were str...

   "In the last year that the Par 4 was in existence, a Cuban refugee, Hermes Entenza, lived next door at the Honeycutt's. We went to the Par 4 once. Hermes' only livelihood was painting. I asked him to paint me a picture and when he asked of what, I said the Par 4. This is it." Robert H. Lee "There's a tear in my beer  'cause I'm cryin' for you, dear     You are on my lonely mind. " Hank Williams I hopped up on the barstool next to my friend who had arrived just before me at our regular hang-out. Before my butt hit the vinyl covered cushion, my Miller High Life was being placed in front of me on the bar. It was that kind of place. They knew your beer and watched the door to see who was coming in so they could grab it from the icy cold cooler and serve it before you had a chance to ask.   There was no need for questions about how you would pay. If you had been there before you were automatically added to a little re...

Hope is strength. Hope is enduring. Hope handles the tough jobs. Like cleaning out your  deceased mother’s house. And comforting your father during your mother’s funeral. Hope survives struggles. Like losing a child. Hope thrives in the face of adversity. Like raising and caring for a disabled child. Hope is able to see that even people with damaged brains have beautiful souls and experience moments of pure joy. Hope is the first to call when a brother needs support or just a word of encouragement. Hope stands in the wings and cheers for the people she loves when they take the stage. Hope survives crashes and grueling years of rehab. Hope is a presence in your youth. Hope is there from the  moment you are born. Hope is strong and enduring. Hope is beautiful. Hope is love. Hope is my sister’s name.