boatman view

dust   view   thought

 

 

 

 

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dust

 

 

 

almost daily

 

Coming over here, I thought about picking up an apple fritter for you but then I couldn’t get over into the left lane to make the turn.  I think my turn signal is broken.  Are they open this early anyways?  I wonder if the guy at the station could check it.  I guess I could do it myself.  Push the stalk up, get out, and look at the lights on the back.  See what’s blinking.  I gotta’ make sure it’s in park.  And I’ll put the parking break on just to be extra safe.  I could pull in front of one of those glass front office buildings and see my reflection.  That would work.   Then I could back into a parking spot to check my backlights.  I had a couple coffees when I got up and my morning smoke.  Heard a song on the radio that used to be one of my favorites but I forgot the name of it.  I think they changed the lyrics.  It was some of that soft rock that you don’t like.  You know it’s a whole world, there’s a whole world of music out there, and it’s a new world to hear.  It’s not all notes that go in order and harmonies and words that make sense all the time.  I think the tigers have an afternoon game today, or maybe it’s tonight.  Have you made any?

 

“The game was rained out. Don’t ask me why.”

 

You don’t drink coffee, do you?

 

“Ah, there are some electrical currents still working up there.  You’re right.  Still don’t drink coffee.  Don’t ask me why.   But, gosh, who wouldn’t want to be as chipper as you this early in the day?”

 

Hey, good point.  I don’t know, I’ve just always liked the taste of coffee, ya’ know.  It smells great.  Put a few sugars in and you’re ready to go man go.  I’ll make my own.  I know where everything is.  Where do you keep the filters?  Rained out, heh?

 

“I’m going down town this afternoon to look at a hotel if you want to ride along.”

 

You should see the sun this morning.  Man, it’s bright.  I know you haven’t been out yet.  The newspaper’s still on your porch.  That sun is just something else.  Go over to the window and take a look.  It’s on me.

 

“I’m glad to hear the paper boy found the porch this morning. Good arm.  That’s two days in a row.  I hope we have him for a few more days before he gets that call from the majors and goes pro on us.”

 

You haven’t seen this sun, have ya’?  Man, it’s bright.  It’s so hot you can feel it.  Coffee’s ready.  Want some?

 

“I’m going to’ finish these calculations and then I’ll be ready for my guitar lesson.”

 

Yeah, okay.  You don’t need any more lessons.  You already play better than I do.  I taught you my song.

 

“It’s good, my friend.  I just want to be able to play more than one song, more than just those same two chords and three notes all the time.  Don’t you?”

 

Man, I mean it.  You ought to look out your window and see this sun I’m talkin’ about.  I don’t want to change my song, man.  That two-chord three-note song sold over two million single copies in the first year.  And then we put it on an album with eleven other two chord three note songs and it sold a millions copies.  Then we did that live album of the same songs and it sold a million.  I’m not messing with it and I’m not learning any more chords.  It’s not financially feasible.  Just not in my best interest.

 

“Financially feasible?  You’re sounding like me.  I’m glad to help you manage the business parts.  I just thought you might want to grow as a musician.”

 

Man, I’m not a musician.  I’m a product on the shelf in the record store the same as a box of corn flakes in the grocery store.  We’re gonna’  put out a ‘best of’ album in a couple months, the same stuff again, and sell another million copies.    I’d tour Japan if I felt like traveling but I don’t.  Why don’t you like the sun?

 

“It’s no big deal.  The sun rises.  The sun shines.  The sun sets.  What else is it gonna’ do?

 

Why don’t you like to see the sunrise, man?  It’s so beautiful.  C’mon, take a look.

 

“Hey I’ve seen it. Many times.  You treat it like some kind of mystery or something.  It’s not.  The sun rises every day.  It’s great.  I’m glad it happens.  It’s gonna’ do it whether I’m looking or not.  It’s not depending on me.”

 

Well you’ll be sorry if it doesn’t someday and you blew it, man.  You missed your last chance to see it.

 

“It’ll be there tomorrow.  I might look at it then.”

 

What if it’s not?

 

“Not what?”

 

Think about it man.  What if it’s not there tomorrow?

 

“What is wrong with you?  Everyone knows the sun rises every day.  What do you mean by ‘what if it’s not?’  There’s no such thing as it’s not going to rise, the sun is going to rise.”

 

How can you be so sure?  There’s no way of knowing that.

 

“I swear I’m changing the lock on my door and I’m not letting you in.  Do you have a fever or something?”

 

Man, I’m fine.  There’s nothing wrong with me.  I come over here ‘cause we’re friends.  You think there is something wrong with me just because you don’t like thinking about things.

 

“Thinking about things?  Thinking about, thinking, you think this is thinking.  Babbling about the sun may not rise, ever again, is not thinking.  Thinking is applying your brain to practical matters.  What you’re doing is hallucinating, not thinking.”

 

Well, I’ll tell you what I’m thinking.  And I am thinking.  I think you have some kink of mental thing about facing the reality that the sun just might not rise tomorrow.  Probably a lot of people are like that.  Don’t feel bad about it. 

 

“Bad about it?  Okay, alright.  I’m doing some of my serenity breathing here, nice and easy.  I just breathe in, slowly and very calmly.  I imagine myself in a favorite place, on a warm island, by myself.  I hold that picture in my mind, and I slowly exhale.  Everything is good.”

 

Well it won’t be so good my friend if the sun doesn’t rise to warm your cute little island.  Think about it.

 

“Let me give you something to think about.  Think about the wager you want to make.  Do you want to wager that the sun won’t rise tomorrow?   Could be some easy money for you here.  You think about it, friend.  And we are friends.  I do wonder why sometimes.  But, we can make a friendly wager here.  Let’s bet one hundred dollars.”

 

Well, you know I don’t like betting.  I don’t like gambling.  And, first of all, I don’t think you can afford, well, it’s really not first of all now,  but I don’t think you can afford to lose that much.  I don’t want to take advantage of you.

 

“This is not gambling, for you.  It’s just insanity for you to be questioning or be unsure about if the sun is going to rise tomorrow.  Let’s make this more interesting, if that’s possible.   I’ll bet one thousand dollars that the sun will rise tomorrow.”

 

Oh, my oh my.  That’s too much and you know it.  You think you’re so smart.  I might just take you up on that one hundred dollar bet and teach you a lesson.   But, c’mon now, that one thousand dollars is just too much money to be betting.  It’s just reckless.  It’s irresponsible.  You’re so sure of yourself.  You know better. 

 

“But, you are sure enough of yourself to bet me a hundred dollars that the sun won’t rise tomorrow?”

 

Well it just down right amuses me that you are so sure it will rise that you are willing to lose a hundred dollars over it.

 

“You’ll bet with me one hundred dollars, but you won’t bet one thousand dollars.  You’re betting against the sun.  I don’t see the difference between one hundred or one thousand dollars. 

 

Okay, so we are betting on if the sun will rise.  Who we gonna’ get to be the judge ?  Do you really want to  discuss this with anyone else?  Let me think on this.  There is no guarantee, but the probability, well it is fifty fifty odds.  There are only  two possibilities.  Either it does, or it doesn’t”

 

Don’t make it worse for yourself.  I’ll come by in the morning, in the dark to collect my money.