I went to church yesterday. It was the first time I’d been to a church service in 51 years. The last was during boot camp and they made us go. Can’t be an atheist and fight for freedom, no.
When the gruff petty officer asked my religion I replied atheist. He gave me a look that would kill most grown boys. You can’t be a goddamn atheist, he growled. I’ll put you down as protestant.
Well, what the hell did I, a 17-year-old punk kid, know? I’d been to church some as a kid. Sunday school, too. I didn’t know what was what, where I stood.
I still don’t, though I no longer call myself an atheist. There’s something. I’m not sure exactly what. I don’t believe the universe happened by accident. Of course, that leads to larger questions: who created it and where did he/she come from? Hey, I didn’t say I had any answers.
But hell, I wouldn’t look at a new Cadillac and say it built itself. And the universe is a hell of a lot more complex than a Caddy. We won’t even bring the Swiss watch into the conversation. Or a lot of other less complicated things we’d never believe built themselves.
Anyway, I showed up there in church simply because it’s where my kids attend and they invited me. I received a warm welcome from everyone. My daughter is the church secretary and my son sometimes preaches. They are well thought of in the community.
Much of the pastor’s talk centered on financial concerns for the men's home, the women’s home. He quoted a number of scriptures that seemed to support the idea that folks should assist programs to help the needy, the unfortunate, the drug and alcohol addled. They had to come up with fifteen grand in two days or they were in bad trouble.
Don’t look my way. If I had fifteen large to spare, I’d probably be sitting in one of the nearby casinos, paying reparations to our red brethren for all that land we stole. I did that when I last visited a dozen years ago. Not this time.
After church, we all went to Celia’s in El Centro for lunch. The place was packed, long line waiting. Kind of semi-upscale, but they had a TV silently playing high up in one corner. I sat directly facing it and was surprised to see the Titans’ blue and white jerseys on the field. The game was shown locally on Fox because the Arizona Cardinals are an area team.
I got back home in time for the last quarter. Walked out on it about 4 minutes from the end, when Kenny Britt fumbled away that beautiful 51-yard pass from VY. The Titans were down by 3 points and I figured Arizona to score again and seal the deal. I was disgusted.
Course, as it turned out, the Titans got the ball back way downfield and went on a 98-yard rapid drive. Wound up with Young completing a pass to Britt in the end zone to win the game 20-17. Redemption for that fumble. Damn, but those Titans sometimes take one to heart attack city before pulling it out at the last moment. Probably just as well that I missed it.
A week from tomorrow morning, I cross the mountain and board the big bird again. I’ve had a nice visit thus far -- only really bad point was yesterday when I noticed I’d lost my credit card somewhere. Last place I used it was Nashville airport, and I distinctly remember the girl handing it back to me and me placing it in my wallet. But my wallet later went into that security basket to go through the machine and there were a half dozen security personnel there where the basket came out. It beat me through by some small measure of time, plenty of time for someone to flip it open and pull the card from the too visible place.
Into each life some rain must fall....
When the gruff petty officer asked my religion I replied atheist. He gave me a look that would kill most grown boys. You can’t be a goddamn atheist, he growled. I’ll put you down as protestant.
Well, what the hell did I, a 17-year-old punk kid, know? I’d been to church some as a kid. Sunday school, too. I didn’t know what was what, where I stood.
I still don’t, though I no longer call myself an atheist. There’s something. I’m not sure exactly what. I don’t believe the universe happened by accident. Of course, that leads to larger questions: who created it and where did he/she come from? Hey, I didn’t say I had any answers.
But hell, I wouldn’t look at a new Cadillac and say it built itself. And the universe is a hell of a lot more complex than a Caddy. We won’t even bring the Swiss watch into the conversation. Or a lot of other less complicated things we’d never believe built themselves.
Anyway, I showed up there in church simply because it’s where my kids attend and they invited me. I received a warm welcome from everyone. My daughter is the church secretary and my son sometimes preaches. They are well thought of in the community.
Much of the pastor’s talk centered on financial concerns for the men's home, the women’s home. He quoted a number of scriptures that seemed to support the idea that folks should assist programs to help the needy, the unfortunate, the drug and alcohol addled. They had to come up with fifteen grand in two days or they were in bad trouble.
Don’t look my way. If I had fifteen large to spare, I’d probably be sitting in one of the nearby casinos, paying reparations to our red brethren for all that land we stole. I did that when I last visited a dozen years ago. Not this time.
After church, we all went to Celia’s in El Centro for lunch. The place was packed, long line waiting. Kind of semi-upscale, but they had a TV silently playing high up in one corner. I sat directly facing it and was surprised to see the Titans’ blue and white jerseys on the field. The game was shown locally on Fox because the Arizona Cardinals are an area team.
I got back home in time for the last quarter. Walked out on it about 4 minutes from the end, when Kenny Britt fumbled away that beautiful 51-yard pass from VY. The Titans were down by 3 points and I figured Arizona to score again and seal the deal. I was disgusted.
Course, as it turned out, the Titans got the ball back way downfield and went on a 98-yard rapid drive. Wound up with Young completing a pass to Britt in the end zone to win the game 20-17. Redemption for that fumble. Damn, but those Titans sometimes take one to heart attack city before pulling it out at the last moment. Probably just as well that I missed it.
A week from tomorrow morning, I cross the mountain and board the big bird again. I’ve had a nice visit thus far -- only really bad point was yesterday when I noticed I’d lost my credit card somewhere. Last place I used it was Nashville airport, and I distinctly remember the girl handing it back to me and me placing it in my wallet. But my wallet later went into that security basket to go through the machine and there were a half dozen security personnel there where the basket came out. It beat me through by some small measure of time, plenty of time for someone to flip it open and pull the card from the too visible place.
Into each life some rain must fall....
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