Wednesday, December 10, 2008

The Stranger

*A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who
was new to our small Texas town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated
with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our
family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on.

*As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family.
In my young mind,he had a special niche. My parents were complementary
instructors: Mom taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But
the stranger... he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours
on end with Adventures, mysteries and comedies.

*If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or
science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and
even seemed able to predict the future! He took my family to the first major
league ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger
never stopped Talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.

*Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us
were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to
the kitchen for peace and quiet. (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the
stranger to leave.)

*Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions,
but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity, for example,
was not allowed in our home... Not from us, our friends or any visitors.
Our longtime visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that
burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush. My Dad didn't
permit the liberal use of alcohol. But the stranger encouraged us to try it on a
regular Basis. He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes distinguished.

*He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.

*I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced
strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my
parents, yet he was seldom rebuked... And NEVER asked to
leave.

*More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved
in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as
fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you could walk into my parents' den
today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for
someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.*

*His name?.... .. .

*We just call him 'TV.'

*He has a wife now.... We call her 'Computer.'

I got this email today and I wanted to share if you have never seen this before.

No comments: