He said, Son, this ain’t a dream no more it’s the real thing.

Senor, Senor, you know their hearts is as hard as leather
Well, give me a minute, let me get it together
I just gotta pick myself up off the floor
I’m ready when you are, Senor.

(From SENOR By Bob Dylan )

*******************************

My sophomore in college our basketball Coach roomed Dale Fillengame and me together. Dale was 6′ 9″ tall and weighed about 250 lbs. He had been an MP ( Military Policeman ) and was 26 years old.

Anything but dumb, his skill set and interests lay not in the world of Academia. Class attendance and required weekly Chapel neither. Even basketball was way back behind girls and, surprisingly, abstract art. Between his art professsor, me, and the coach, we all saw his talent. And we tried. He’d sleep in ( “Damn, the sheets got me again”! ) And we’d pep talk him again. Most committment came at lights out : “Tommorrow I’m turning over a new leaf . You get me up in the morning!”

There were two variables. First, three days a week I had an earlier class. Awakended at 8 am meant nothing at nine. Secondly, fear! I’d seen him angry.

It is new leaf time for me. It’s not the sheets or the writing. Technology wins. Too many unknown buttons. Too much angst, frustration, begging for help, same errors and “can’t finds .” Good luck, AI.

The writing is fun, so that stays on http://www.tomparham.wordpress.com

AGAIN FROM DYLAN (GOING, GOING, GONE )

I’m closin’ the book
On the pages and the text
And I don’t really care
What happens next
I’m just going
I’m going
I’m gone