What I Love About People....
Posted: Sunday, October 02, 2011
by Jack H. Schick
“What I love about you people is you think you have the only way to get to heaven and are always trying to convert people,” Stan was yelling at Harold when I walked into the control room.
They were obviously fighting over Harold’s Mormonism again. Harold seldom said much after it got started. He knew he couldn’t win and it wasn’t worth the tongue lashing. They must have been at it for a while because both of them were red faced. For some reason, Stan disliked Mormons. He shut up when I came in. I didn’t say anything, just went over to the desk and started filling out my log book. Stan had some tanks to check, so he stormed out, got in the truck and drove off.
Harold was up-front about his Mormonism. He never really pushed for me to become a one, but he did talk about it a lot, after he heard I’d talked to missionaries, and had read most of the Book of Mormon. He backed off some when I told him that I thought Joseph Smith’s secret gold tablets and the Jesus coming to America after the resurrection story was a bunch of crap.
I don’t know if Stan was religious or not. He did say 'Jesus Christ' a lot. In those days I was just a slacker Protestant who didn’t go to church. I was still sort of spiritual. I guess you’d say I was an agnostic Seeker. I was drinking pretty heavily by then and saw God a few times, at the bottom of a bottle of beer, but I wasn’t very religious. I sort of liked both the guys, but if I had to pick the one with the best heart, I’d probably pick Harold.
“What started it this time?” I asked Harold after Stan left.
“We were talking about the economy.” Harold felt comfortable opening up to me. “I said that we (the Mormons), thought a cultural collapse, maybe even the end days, was coming soon.”
I wasn’t much of a Revelations or doomsday believer. I figured we’d last at least until 2014, like the Witnesses said, but things didn’t look too good for the country right then. We all figured Wyoming was about the last place they’d ship food and fuel if there was a shortage, and winter was coming on.
“Stan said,” Harold continued. “’I’ve got plenty of guns and ammo. I guess I’ll be living off antelope meat.’ I said, ‘I don’t need guns. Mormons are required to keep a year’s supply of food on hand at all times, incase of an emergency.’”
“Really?” I said. I’d heard about that. There were all sorts of bulk food sales people wandering around in the Rocky Mountain region because of it. When there was a disaster, the church will call for a month’s supply from each member to take care of victims. “What did Stan say?” I asked.
“He said,” Harold actually turned a little red again, “Oh, you’ll need guns all right, because if you don’t have any, I’m going to bring my guns over to your place and take your G.d. food’.... I told him maybe he should try finding a little religion, for a change. That made him really mad.”
While I was living in Wyoming we didn’t have any disasters that were bad enough to require Harold to take a month’s worth of food to the church. The economic and political conditions improved, so Stan never had to live off antelope meat or go by Harold’s place and take his supplies. I learned something from both of them, though, and sort of straddled the fence. I got a freezer and kept it full of antelope and deer meat. I bought a few cases of dried foods that I stored in the shed, and I kept plenty of ammo for my hunting rifles on hand, just in case.
A few months later I walked into the control room while they were at it again. Harold was hollering at Stan: “The church hasn’t supported multiple marriages in over a hundred years! That’s what I love about people like you, you don’t know history so you just make things up.”
“What I’d love to do is meet you in the parking lot after work sometime,” Stan said.
I didn’t say a word. I just walked over to the desk and started filling in my log book. That's what I love about people. I can learn at least something from most of them, and half of them make me feel better about myself, and appreciate my own life.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)You have had an interesting life...this happened 30 years ago and is embellished to make a story with a theme
it is based around the statement about the guns, which is quotes.
Yep, it's thank goodness for life but especially mine. It's funny how things can stay for 30 years and remain there for the right time as in this story. Great story with theme. Written the fine Schick way!Thanks.
I enjoyed this, Jack. I'm pretty sure I've met those two guys a couple of different times. Good thing you picked the best things and just learned something from each of them and went on your way.Thanks for reading and commenting
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