How about those Pilgrims!!

     I have to share this with my faithful..

A few years ago (2003)  I had embarked on a new journey with some business associates, A former CFO of PCA, the former CEO of American Studios, and Myself.  We opened a chain of Tanning Salons based out of Lake Wylie, SC and were in the Stages of our Pilot location and were working out the kinks. 

     I was about 37 at the time and was involved in a relationship with a girl much younger than myself, 23, (who was 19) when I met her and moved her in.  (I was going through my  pre mid-life)  and was not to shy at the time to stand on the roof and beat raw eggs on my chest giving a tarzan shout while basking in my prowess as a MAN of Men!  Yeah Baby, I was on top.....

     In all relationships, there are ups and downs no matter what the situation may be, and I was suffering from lack of "quality" intellectual conversation.  I did love the girl, so, I just bit my lip and smashed some more eggs when frustration got the best of me....LOL.....and life was something else. 

    Through all of the hustle and bustle of a new venture with national expectations, our homelife was situationally settled, or may I say our evenings at home.  I would spend my days on construction, motif, lunch, stress, 3 hour meetings on choosing between paint colors and quality marketing strategies.  Then I would come home and we would sit and watch television,,,, or fight over the remote control.  My tastes are:  the Military Channel, History Channel, A & E, and believe it or not  Bravo (when I needed something a little more mindless).  These channels were in fierce competition with MTV Road Rules, Vh1, Viva La Bam, Cartoon Network, and a host of other interesting video venues!!  I guess the gap in age was reflective of the taste level.....I do have a good sense of humor, though, so I can weather most things..

     When my senses were bombarded by the teenage media, I would occasionally stroll out on the porch and make a call to my friend Rhonda, who is a very successful  business lady out on the west coast whose opinions and intellect I place a high value on and we would talk business for a bit and exchange funny stories and I always found her conversation refreshing.  I would then return to the couch to continue the torturous cacauphony and then retire for the evening....

     One night after one of the conversations with Rhonda, I was walking back into the townhouse and a wine glass passed an inch from my head.........Of course I was startled and slightly fearful,  the girl could put some wine away now.  Anyway, I asked what was going on and she was crying and babbling incoherently and I thought oh no, she's looped.  Then she collected herself and told me I was not paying enough attention to her and why did I did I talk to Rhonda all the time...At this point I was on the defensive (after all, I paid all the bills, she worked at the salon, I always gave footrubs when she got home, and I pampered her like a doll)!

Then  I had to hear the spill about my "phone affair"  and all the time I am thinking what the HECK?

I was getting a little upset after she ran to the room slamming the door behind her and locking it telling me to sleep on the couch, so in my anger, I told her if she wasn't so dumb I would pay more attention...I realize that was a mean thing to say, but I am a blunt person when heated. 

     Unbeknowst to me now,  this girl took this statement to HEART, and made it her mission in life the next day at work to increase her intellectual capacity to such great extent to show me "who was the dumb one".

She spent most of her free time that day on every news article on the internet, and when she reached the pinnacle of her enlightment, she spent the better part of her day in utter astonishment..she had found the holy grail of illusionment.  Right there, on CNN webpost, in black and white.

    I was suprised when I got in that evening that she was bubbly and cheerful and kind (she had a great heart)

and was actually not dissentive when I went for the remote and switched to "Wings over Vietnam" on the military channel.  So, against my better judgement, I got up and poured her some wine and rubbed her feet,

and was kind of wondering if everything had passed and I told her I was sorry for the comment and she said "that's ok""" and then she smirked and I could tell she was just about to burst and she said "I know something you don"t know!!" 

    Me being the smartypants, I said  " OK,  Shoot!"  I do pride myself on some things, I like to consider myself worldly and educated.

She said, with great confidence and much enthusiasm, I know about the Pilgrims.

I said well so do I.

She said "Well, I know what you don't know"

I replied, I am sure they came across the ocean in a ship with sails and landed on our eastern shores Kelly, but some do disagree whether or not the Vikings came first, but the American History Books lead us to believe they were the founders.  In addition, they were sailing seeking a trade route to the far east and happened to land on our shores and that is why we call the natives "Indians."  They were also instrumental in instituting the ritual of a wonderful yearly feast that we call "Thanksgiving."

  At this point she was about to explode in her brilliance!!! " Oh yeah mister Smarty, well guess what,  I bet you didn't know that some of them made it all the way"..".My reply was evidently I do because there is a picture of a Quaker on the Box in the Cabinet and occasionally I see his smiling face in the morning when I fix my oatmeal."...[This was going somewhere?]

     She said look" @##*%&le" they made it all the way to India, I know its a fact, and  and today 200 of them were massacred, apparantly they have been living there all these years away from civilization and I thought they were EXTINCT!! SO THERE YOU GO!"

I lost it, she had spent the better part of her day in total amazement at the fact that some poor innocent men living in the backwoods of India sporting long beards adorned with top hats, courting matronly women ( and the poor little children) had been butchered by some Godless hoard es of Hari Krishna's with hand axes!!![ and had been existing peacefully for decades unspoiled by the advancement of modern civilization. ]

I smiled and handed her the remote, It was a moment of clarity on both ends. Her eggs were scrambled.

I can say no more but if you look up the definition of Pilgrims you may find that one of the references is to a group of people on a religious journey or trek.

Now that I look back I think this was the beginning of the end, but you gotta give an A for effort!!!!!

How about those Pilgrims!!!!

Paul Little