So my wife is standing at the door, waiting for me to finish my morning ablutions so that we can go out, and she asks me to go to the door. I met a very friendly couple who wanted to talk to me about Jehovah. I informed them that I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and that I had been disfellowshipped for about (and I had to think about this) five years now.
And the dude was offended by my existence. He looked at me with contempt and scorn. I mentally shrugged and said to myself, "Czar, he's the one that's marching around on the day before the hurricane hits in a suit and tie. You're going out to enjoy your life." Whatever, they walked away. The lady asked me about the cistern (one of those hippy things that they put up with public funds) anyway, they wandered away.
So I came out of the door, and it was like invasion of the pod people. They were everywhere. It was a blitzkrieg.
There was this guy (elder sense tingling, dudes) and he came over. He, rather imperiously, I thought, rasied a finger to have me wait up. Which I thought was rude. I mean, he didn't know where I was going, or if I was in a hurry, or what. I mean, I wasn't, but... you know... I could have been. If I were that type of fellow. Which I am not.
He said, "I heard you are disfellowshipped... and we are looking for disfellowshipped ones that want to return..."
I cut him off. "No. Never. I appreciate your concern, but no. Never." Those were my exact words. I remember them because they felt so damn GOOD and yet UNNATURAL at the same time. It was like, "Who the hell is saying THIS to an elder? Is it really (Czar)???"
I swear, it was like a moment where suddenly this elder suddenly realized that he had NO control over me. I had ESCAPED him and his damned cult. There was so much conflict in his eyes. Maybe I was reading too much into it, but I swear I saw a look of envy. I mean, there I am, trotting off with my beautiful wife and two kids (not mine, but I love them) and going off to have a great day at one of those pizza / playplace / gokart track things and the whole future still lies in front of me...
And I was shaking when I got into the car. But in a good way.
Anyway, just another victory over the Dark Tower, from the oldest battlefield in the world - the East End of Pittsburgh.
CZAR