Ken’s e-Pistle

September 6, 2023

One of my quasi-dear friends came to visit last week.  Whenever he comes, our peaceable household is upset by his energy, enthusiasm, and blood-curdling solutions to the world’s problems.  My dogs love everybody but when he comes through the door, they retreat to unknown quarters and emerge only when bribed by cheese cubes or bits of raw hamburger. Hey, they are many things but not stupid.

He is a great fan of exercise, especially walking.  He drags me along at what I consider a break-neck speed but which he insists has aerobic benefit.  Reminding him that I have a knee due for replacement and arthritis just about everywhere does not deter his desire to improve me.  Did I mention that he is about 40 years my junior?  He does not yet concur that there is only so much improvement of me which can reasonably be expected.

He insisted on cooking dinner for us.  I inwardly cringed at the mere thought of him in my kitchen.  Yes, MY kitchen.  It is my workshop, my retreat, my theater, my ashram.  It is where I am at home and can create things both wondrous and, occasionally, awful.  Nonetheless, there he was, judging the presence of bacon and sausage in the fridge and wondering why all of my eggs are white instead of brown.  Are they free range?  Sadly, I don’t know their provenance. Dinner was finally served around 9:30 pm. (Our bedtime, mind you.) It featured little dabs of pink and white substance on a lettuce leaf.  Miss Vicki glared and it was all I could do not to cry.  Once he retired for the evening, I made both of us substantial meatloaf sandwiches from items hidden away in the garage fridge.

The next morning I got up early enough to make a semi-respectable breakfast which featured the rare appearance of oat muffins, dairy-free butter, and almond milk for his decaf coffee.  As I bowed my head to ask the blessing of the “meal” he noticed the appearance of male pattern baldness atop my head.  He waxed on and on about an idea he was developing for my condition called the “axial transplant.”  I leave the disturbing details of this procedure to those of you with some exposure to the medical arts or with access to Google.

In our Scripture Lessons for this Sunday we are instructed how to live in community.  They are great passages with much wisdom.  They even address my experience of  dealing with my friend:  it just ain’t easy!

I bid you peace!