Personal Thoughts on Doing the Right Thing – Zoomer

 

Personal Thoughts on Doing the Right Thing – Zoomer.

Hallelujah and a Haircut – Zoomer

 

Hallelujah and a Haircut – Zoomer.

Cancer Always Calls Collect – Part 13 – Revival of the Fittest – Zoomers

Cancer Always Calls Collect – Part 13 – Revival of the Fittest – Zoomers.

 

 

 

Does God Live In Berkeley California?

From the upcoming book  Grimm Tayles of Emileeeeee McPheeeee- out sometime in the spring or early summer if I can get my brain together.

 

 

When Emileeeeee was depressed she rode the number 88 bus. She rode it to the east, she rode it to the west, because it was always the solution.  Watching the passing scenery seemed to be just the prescription that cured the dark and cloudy days Emileeeeee seemed to conjure up for herself.

One gloomy day Emileeeeee jumped on the bus and there sitting across her was a physically challenged woman. She was about 36, partially blind and had a club foot. This woman seemed to go out of her way to be pleasant to everyone and didn’t feel sorry for herself  like Emileeeeee did.

 

She looked at Emileeeeee and said,

 

“Hello “Miss Girl”, you are a sad looking girl indeed, but do smile for me.” she said. “My name is Mini.”

 

Mini plopped herself down on the seat next to Emileeeeee and began talking to no one in particular. She asked the bus driver her name who then quickly responded that she was called Priscilla. Comfortable with a first name, Mini began talking in a loud booming southern voice.

 

“Miss Priscilla, I don’t have a care keeper anymore.”

“I noticed that Mini, where is she?” asked Priscilla

“Miss Priscilla, my mother has forced me have home care off and on since 1995, and you wouldn’t believe half of what I would tell you. You would say, ‘NAAA HAAAAAAAAA!’ My Mama and Mr. Jimmy says I’m too nice to people. But Mr. Jimmy has hired these strange home care workers and I think they are in cahoots. I’m a nice person but I won’t be taken advantage of any longer No sirree, not anymore!”

 

Emileeeeee looked at her with sad eyes and nodded her head as Mini continued.

“God is the only judgment in my life. What goes up must come down like a helium balloon and if Mr. Jimmy keeps up; he is going to go down like a busted balloon. I never heard the doctor tell my Mama that I was legally blind, but I can still move around and if I don’t step in mud one day, then it’s a good day.” 

 

 

“Well, your Mama just cares about you darlin’ said Priscilla, the bus driver.

Yes, Emileeeeee nodded; her mama cared for her just like the bus driver and  Emileeeeee began to care  too.

Mini began getting a little heated and blurted out,

 

“I don’t despair my Mama, but she has faith the size of a mustard seed. If I can cross that street to go to the corner store and not get hit by a car nor mugged by those young thugs then it’s another good day. If I can’t do something then I am going to give it one heck of a try. When you stop this bus- if I fall down and bump my head, I’m just going to rub it and keep on going.”

 

Yes, Emileeeeee nodded, just keep on going and that  is what she should do. Forget all the bumps and all those imaginary things inside her head.

At this point, Mini noticed that the passengers were listening to her every word. She began to get nervous and twirl her “Bad Boy Bail Bonds” key lanyard around her neck.

“Miss Priscilla, where were you born?” asked Mini.

“I was born in Alabama, darlin’,” said Priscilla.

“Well, I was born in San Francisco,” said Mini, and she began speaking loudly.

“You see I’m crazy, because I was born there,” she laughed. “Everyone thinks people from San Francisco are crazy so I moved across the Bay to Berkeley to find God.”

Emileeeeee scratched her head. She didn’t know that God had moved to Berkeley or she would have done the ‘drop in’ with some freshly baked cookies. She silently wondered; where in Berkeley was God living?

Emileeeeee had always thought the hippies had it all right when they revolted against Governor Reagan over People’s Park in the ‘60s. Was God living in People’s Park then? Was He at the Amoeba record store every week buying records, thought Emileeeeee to herself. Or was He begging for change on the street with three dogs on a leash? Had she missed Him somewhere?

Surely God didn’t have a vendor’s table on Telegraph Avenue selling tie dye clothing. Do other people know He lives here? Emileeeeee wondered if He had marched along side with her during one of those anti-war rallies. She secretly knew what Mini really meant, but it was interesting to wonder what God would do if He lived in Berkeley. After all, it is a haven of peace.

Mini was still babbling on, telling the bus driver how she used to go the YMCA in the summer when she was young and how she loved the trampoline. She couldn’t jump because of her foot but she would sit there while the others jumped and pretended she was flying.

“I just sat there and closed my eyes and I was flying Miss Priscilla. I was flyinggggggggggggggg in the blue sky.”

Emileeeeee imagined Mini flying into the air as she closed her eyes. Suddenly Emileeeeee was also flying with Mini into the clouds. There was only sunshine and smiles, and the gloom and doom became non existent.

 

After that very day, when Mini flew into her heart,  Emileeeeee worried no more and feeling sorry for herself was no longer an option. For months she looked for Mini on the 88 bus. She looked far and she looked wide, but she no longer saw her and Emileeeeee wondered aloud,

 

“Maybe that WAS God. Was God really on the 88 bus that day?”

 

Maybe He was, thought Emileeeeee and she smiled broadly.  Maybe God really did live in Berkeley, because He was everywhere and He did have some rules. He told everyone not to be sad and to love everyone – after all, He wouldn’t give you problems to make you weaker. Maybe in all honesty our sole purpose in life is just to warn others. If that was the case Emileeeeee decided it was better to walk through life happily then be dragged through it. She only  wished she realized it sooner. After all- you have to go your own way!

 

 

 

 

From the upcoming book  Grimm Tayles of Emileeeeee McPheeeee- out sometime in the spring or early summer if I can get my brain together.

 

Cover by Diana Ani Stokely- Grafix to Go

 

A very rough copy of this was published in The Berkeley Xpress in  2010 and it is a true story after all we all have some Emileeeeee McPheeeeee in us. Sculpture of Emileeeeee McPheeeeee by Miss Bobby Jean of Berkeley, California.

 

 

 

Song dedicated to Bob Bromby

 

 

 

 

 

Now available on Amazon US and Amazon Canada. Canadians please contact me for books to get cheaper shipping.

Or buy the Kindle version now available on the US site.

 

 

 

 Cowansville High School book will be available in January

 

 

Linda Blogs about this and that daily on:

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.Hypersmash.com