Articles

You know, people are weird! Thank God there are a lot of them. I know this one man. He believes in books and being educated. He thinks that if you are not educated, then you cannot possibly know all of life and what it has to offer. He reads all these news papers (only the best), all sorts of books, and leaves people out of the equation. As he is telling me and the other students in his class this, I keep thinking, Man, do I feel sorry for this guy! I mean, don't get me wrong here, I love books too. Am a ferocious reader
in fact. Yet in all the time I have been alive, the moments I have chosen to be in my life, as to draw strength on when I need it, have never come from books. Sure, I get some great ideas for this and that, but the real teachers in my life have been people.

It always trips me out how I can sit in a bookstore, and right next to me is a man who looks like a leader in a motorcycle gang. Now it is not his menacing looks exactly, but it is how we will strike up a conversation about anything, and feel reminded when we go our separate ways how great strangers can be when you get past their covers. This never fails to humble me where ever I go. At a bus stop, a skinhead, who would give me the shirt off his back. Taking me home at night from school, a huge black man that would scare the pants off of PTA mothers, but talks about his little girl with absolute love. Spending the night at a family's house who are Christian, and welcoming my questions. And answering them.

Yep, people sure are funny birds. Glad I bought the ticket.

Author: Ashcraft
Date: 3/5/00