Overheard at Booth 4: Hallowe'en

Lindsey said, "You know, I'm really not sure I should let the kids go out this Hallowe'en, I mean with COVID and all that, you don't know whose door they're gonna knock on that has it or not, and then every kid is sticking their little fingers in the same basket, but then I thought, hey, they're young and it's just a little cough and nobody really gets it, I mean they say that 250,000 people have died but only one person I know of at church died and the president said nobody really gets it, I mean, he got it and got over it, so I figured if the kids get it they'll be OK and if they pass it to me, I should be all right, so yeah, I'll just make sure they wear their jackets tonight because it's supposed to be chilly."

Overheard at Table 3: Riot

1: So you gonna riot on Tuesday?

2: No, I'm gonna vote.

1: You throwing that vote away.  Then you gonna riot.

2: Yeah, OK, whatever, sure.

1: See you there. 

Overheard at Booth 3: Alaskan Cruise

April said, "We went on an Alaskan Cruise for our twentieth anniversary three years ago, Rocky had booked the whole thing and surprised me with it, and let me tell you this story, if I can, just real quick.  At first, I didn't want to go, I was thinking, 'Oh my God, thirteen DAYS with this man, I'm gonna go nuts!' And I asked all the ladies at church, 'Please pray for me that I can survive all that time with him' but I have to say, that it was the BEST trip of my life.  I mean, he was wonderful, I found in those two weeks, not just my husband, but also my best friend, my lover, my boyfriend, my confidante, and I realized that those twenty years we'd been married that I had been the difficult one. 

"It also helped that everyone else on the cruise was over 60.  I felt OK wearing my bikini to the heated pool!"

Overheard at Table 4: Cyrus in the Blood Moon

Halloween day.

Morning is crisp cold and the sky is clear, can almost still feel the tug of the moon, just there, beyond the horizon, waiting to slip back up again tonight.

Climb in the truck, man can't believe the chill, even down here in Houston.  Heading toward Waco today, someone said there's actual snow, that should be nice tonight, some crystals against the fur.

Overheard at Booth 5: Fences (2016)

FENCES

One of their finest performances.

Obviously a play, I truly wish I could see this on stage.  But the movie version was stellar.

This is the interplay between dreams, possibilities, missed opportunities, and what we do with what we have and how we live with the loss of what we could have been.

Overheard at Table 4: Haiku for Blood Moon

 Haiku for Blood Moon

Blood Moon at Sundown

All the wolves with plastic pails,

"Trick or Treat!" they cry!

MR

2020-1031

Overheard at Table 3: The Myth of American Exceptionalism

 The Myth of American Exceptionalism - 

should be a book, if no one has already written it.

Should be a study of the complete brainwashing of an entire population into believing that they were somehow immune from the rigors of the rest of the world, that they were somehow better, smarter, more beloved by God than the rest of the world.

Such an identity, perpetuated continually, has rendered the populace completely incapable of addressing serious issues in the society, and left them absolutely helpless in times of national tragedy,

Examples: the bad reaction to 9-11, which led America into 20 year wars and an eventual recession.

The COVID pandemic, which led have the populace to believe the disease did not exist, which led to needless deaths.

Overheard at Table 2: Let the Games Begin

 As we kick off the three month holiday season, during the election that no one ever thought would happen, let this be a raucous celebration - starring with the festivities against the demons and the dead that is Hallowe'en, which moves into the reverence of All Saints Day, which is followed by the bringing to life the headstones of the cemeteries in the days that are called the Day of the Dead, which is crowned on November 3 by the election that will determine if the demons win this country or if the living souls maintain the democracy.

And then, all those shredded families get to face each other over a Thanksgiving dinner, where their prayers to God will be filled with gloating from the side that one, and prayers for deliverance and smiting from the side that lost.

Overheard at Table 1: Fear is a Choice

Read
something interesting the other day, a quote that went something like, "Fear is a choice.  Danger is real, but the reaction to it - fear - is something you choose."

That reminded me of Psalm 23, the part that goes, "Yea, though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I will fear no evil."

Shadow of the valley of death - that's danger.

But I "will" - as in, "I will myself to do so" - which is not to have a fear of any danger.

Fear is a choice, and I gotta tell ya, I've been choosing wrong for a long time now.

Time to chance my choices.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUJ2bc1KLyw

NOTE: After seeing the video and hearing Will Smith's voice, although I read this somewhere recently, now I think the quote comes from one of his movies.  Which movie, though?  I can't recall.... maybe AfterEarth?

Overheard at Table 2: The Loughner Complaint

A Copy of the document mailed to the Senator

[note: this post was drafted in June 2011.  I had read his "manifesto" which included hatred of the ACA ... now, years later, I cannot seem to find that document anywhere]










https://www.politico.com/story/2011/01/note-in-loughner-safe-i-planned-ahead-047340
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-shooting-suspect/internet-manifesto-may-be-linked-to-arizona-shooter-idUSTRE70807820110109

Overread at the Counter: on the screen above the counter, reads ...

 

Overheard at Booth 4: Bulworth (1998)

 The movie was true in 1998 and it's still true today, which is rather sad.

Overheard at Booth 2: Immaculate Concussion

 

IDEA for movie:

The Embassy in Cuba, a worker there starts having headaches and hearing voices.  He doesn't know if it's a psychological attack or if he's really going insane.

https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/the-mystery-deepens-on-those-immaculate-concussion-illnesses-in-cuba/

Overheard at Booth 1: Lyrics to "Friends"

FRIENDS

Someone was holding Ramon
I was only taking pictures
Maggie was talking down the phone
Saying the poor get poor and the rich get richer.

And the weather man he said Fair
Weather and smooth sailing ahead
And we headed out to the Tulsa State Fair
Arms locked and singing "Better Off Dead"

Chorus:

Thundering velvet skies ahead

We’re running straight into the storm

The weather man was full of shit

Somehow that’s true to form:

heading to the Gulf Coast

On half a tank of gas

Half a pack of cigarettes and

a whole shitload of sass.

And there is no where to run to

When there is no place to hide,

I’m crossing the county line

with my bestie by my side

[first draft] need to cut these to fit

Overheard at Table 1: Scrap of Lyrics

 

MR

2019-0315

Well the weather man says fair

and smooth sailing ahead,

as we take to the highway

singing Better Off Dead.

And there is no where to run to

When there is no place to hide,

I’m crossing the county line

with my bestie by my side

Chorus:

Thundering velvet skies ahead

We’re running straight into the storm

The weather man was full of shit

Somehow that’s true to form:

heading to the Gulf Coast

On half a tank of gas

Half a pack of cigarettes and

a whole shitload of sass.

Overheard at Table 3: Español Septimo

T1

Ella buscaba su alma abajo la luna sensual. 

Y él, él no sabía que su vida iba en punto de cambiar.

Los dos, torturados por el ritmo de la vida, una vida en lo que gana nada que obediencia de la machina odioso.

t10

Era la reina del pop, pero ahora, no.

es una lástima, de verdad, como la fama destruya la cara, como desforma el cuerpo.

Podemos ver, de nuestras vidas sin fama, que las luces brillantes mostra todos los defectos en el carácter de nuestros heroes y heroinas.

Hasta que son nada pero empty shells.  Shells of eggs.   Que quebrantan tan fácilmente.

Overread at Booth 5: An Email to the Pastor

[typed on the laptop in the back of Booth 5] 

Hello, Pastor, 

I hope you are having great fun on your trip!

Wanted to let you know that I said something incorrectly at the Bible Study last night.

We went through the four aspects of Salvation: Regeneration, Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification

Roque asked if Justification were a one time event or a process like Sanctification.  

The text as written had not prepared me for that question, and I had not done extraneous research, and so, drawing from Paul's Romans 5:1 "we have PEACE with God" and then contrasting that with his confession that he still wars with his fleshly nature, I said that Justification is like a blend of the immediacy of Regeneration and the process of Sanctification.

Cristina told me after the study that I should have been better prepared, so I did more research and found that while the Catholic Church believes that Justification is a process like Sanctification, many Protestant churches, and the Baptist Church in particular, believes that Justification is a one time event, en punto.  End of story.  So, I send the group an article regarding the difference between Justification and Sanctification from The Gospel Coalition and I asked their forgiveness for my giving an incorrect answer in the class.

I do that because I do take this very seriously.  We as followers of Christ must be prepared at all times to offer our best "apologetics"

That said, Rochi brought up a question that, while, I stated my belief, I cannot state if this is what the Church's doctrine is.

Her question: A person says they follow Christ, but they fall into Apostasy.  Do they then lose their salvation?

There was much discussion, some of which I couldn't follow well, but at then end, I offered this:  Paul wrote that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and that He will never leave us.  Never means Never.  So we are "once saved, always saved."

That said, we are in the process of sanctification to be a Holy Priesthood, fit for service to promote His holy name.

That means our only real job on this planet is to proclaim Christ.

The devil wants to stop us from doing that.

Ergo, the devil will work on our weaknesses.  Sometimes, that may lead us into apostasy, which weakens or prevents our ability to proclaim Christ.

That does not mean they lose their salvation, just that they are not fulfilling their purpose.

Also, it is possible that a person was never saved to begin with.

However, we cannot know.  That is only between the person and God.

I also warned that it is VERRRRY dangerous for us ever to question the salvation of another, because that is a tool that the devil will use to sow doubt in our minds for our brothers.

I referred to the verse of "iron sharpens iron" and the verses that state that followers of Christ must always hold each other accountable and help each other and lift each other up in the faith.

So, if we ever see a brother or sister sliding into apostasy, it would be best to take a pastor and/or extremely learned mature people of the Faith to speak with that person.

Whew!

That was quite a lot.

All said, I am glad that everyone was asking questions and really digging into the points, even though everyone was virtual, it does seem that they were all engaged.

However, I just wanted you and Pastor Mike to know that I take this seriously, and when I falter I will always try to rectify my doctrinal mistakes, and please keep praying that in these studies, that the LORD will impart what He needs to impart and that I will never be a stumbling block to the brethren.

Sorry for the long email... please let me know your thoughts when you get a moment.

Overheard at Table 2: Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020)

Major bummer dude!

That movie was so NOT EXCELLENT!

They faced the music and the music was LAME!

This movie is the equivalent of a middle-aged man buying a souped-up convertible in order to try to recapture his teenage years.

That is all I will say about this movie.

That ... and the CG is terrible!  What the hell, dudes!  Did you edit this movie in your mom's basement?

Overheard at Booth 4: How Could You?

Wife: How could you have done that?!

Husband [shrugs]: I dunno.  She had chocolate.

Overheard at Booth 3: Florida

Husband: I love you.

Wife: Me too.

Husband: You love yourself too?

Wife: Do you ALWAYS have to say that?

Husband: Should I get new material?

Wife: We're just going over the same old things.  It's just ... getting old.

Husband: Sorry, but what could make it better?

Wife: Well you could have taken me on that vacation to Florida like you promised.

Husband: Florida?

Wife: Yes, why didn't you take me to Florida?

Husband: Gee, I dunno, maybe it had something to do with a deadly fuckin' VIRUS!

Wife: You always have some sort of excuse.

Overheard at Table 3: Can we really follow Jesus?

Can we really follow Jesus the way He wants us to follow Him?

Sure, of course!  Just say He's our lord and savior, and we're good.

But what about giving up all our money and our stuff?

That was just that one guy, that wasn't us.

How can you be sure?

Well, if He didn't want us to have all this stuff, then He wouldn't have made America so great, right?

Yeah, I suppose you're right.

Overheard at Table 1: Song scrap

 

Fair was the rose that grew in her garden

and fair was the wind that graced her valley

and 'twas not for the love of that sweet maiden

that I wandered into that dark alley

[OK so this didn't go anywhere - was supposed to be a double entendre take on old Irish love songs, then it went straight from bucolic to inner city.  Maybe there is something that can be done with it, but I don't rightly know at the moment]

MCR

2020-1020

Overheard at Table 3: A Dialogue of One

So I have this idea for nanowrimo.

Dude, you've been trying that thing for 5 years now and you never finish.  Give it up.

Just listen to the idea ...

Why?  It's just another idea that you never get done.  Get something done and THEN come to me about it.

This is why I hate talking to you.  You're such a dreamkiller.

Well, since we're the same person, you're kinda stuck with me.

Fuck you.

Fuck yourself.

Same thing.

Yeah... gonna make a novel out of THAT. psycho boy?

... I might.

Overheard at Table 3: Very Short Story "Naked"

Reading The Naked Lunch, half-naked on my front lawn, I checked my Twitter feed and saw a DM that said, "Send me some nudes" so I looked up some pics of Gram Parsons in 1969.  Hit "send"

Overheard at Table 3: One verse of a song which will never be finished

 

Jimmy fell down in the street during a pouring rain

Learned what science could never teach him about pain

Sally tapped the glass of the window outside the union hall

asked if they had a phone could she make a call

MR

2020-1003

Overheard at Table 3: 2 Timothy 1:7

 

Power, Love, and a Sound Mind.

Christians ... true followers of Christ, have no cause to run around like whiny babies.

Overheard at Booth 1: Morphine

 Husband: How's your back doing, baby?

Wife: It hurts so bad now I can barely stand it.  I just want to go home and lay down.

Husband: So sorry.

Wife: Do you know anywhere we can get some morphine?

Husband: Morphine?

Wife: Yes.  I don't know how much longer I can stand this.

Husband: Geez, baby, do I look like the guy from Breaking Bad?

Wife: OK, then how about our daughter, then?   She's got some friends who are nurses.

Husband: I'll text her.

Overheard at Booth 5: Insane Asylum

October spent her formative years at the Caldwell Insane Asylum, upstate New York.

She says it was a good preparatory school:

She keeps hair samples in clear plastic bags, liquified skin samples in corked beakers.

All meticulously recorded.

[originally posted as Horrorprompt 382 "Insane Asylum"]

Overheard at Table 4: Scraps

 

Lipstick promises and
Roisín eyes,
Meet the feel of Russian steel
And these subway lullabyes.

MR

2020-1007

Overheard at Booth 5: October

 He spoke in hushed tones, as though he was afraid that someone would hear him, there, sunk in the booth with an eye on the door.  He told me her name, "October" and he said it with such fear, an unnatural, bone-chilled fear.  He spoke it as though just saying her name would cause her to appear out of thin air.

I tried to assure him that he was safe.  It was mid-afternoon, and there were plenty of people in the café.  Nothing was going to happen to him here.

He just said, "You don't know.  You just have no idea!"

He just muttered "October" until I, too, felt the chill.

Overheard at Table 2: Yet Another October

And it's yet another October
waiting impatiently for the rain.
nightfall again,
there's no way out of these blues,

but at least there is a Hunter's Moon,
hanging full and low like a fruit of the 
obsidian vine,
orchestrated night, listening to
the chirping of the night toads calling 
to their toad lovers, staving off 
the loneliness for awhile,

the mornings become eclectic,
a touch of chill followed by the 
bout of heat, until day fades again
to night, for another round of 
wine and a prayer for forgetfulness.

Another October, 
which is really nothing more than 
an ode to a dying September,
and an open door to the chill of Winter.

MR

2020-1002