The zen guy (5)

The zen guy still couldn't dance

but he began to loosen up

or so he thought.

If humor is the barometer of such things

he was the self anointed purveyor at zen sesshins.

See, these sesshins are ostensibly devoid of humor:

when you sit facing a wall there is no room for talking, looking around, or any other sort of mischief.

There are even rules about these sort of things.

However, to the zen guys knowledge, there was no express prohibition against note passing.

Hence, when the zen guy learned that an older practitioner from Chicago had an affinity for a


"certain" football team with a hirsute mascot there began to appear at conspicuous places satiric notes


extolling the virtues of a former Packer quarterback, long the nemesis of the windy city team.

These notes were later condensed to the simple affirmation of the jersey number "4".

But there is always more going on here than meets the eye

if you pay attention.

And zen is all about paying attention, right?

Paying attention and perhaps a subtle protest.

For who in their right mind would sit facing a wall all day?

What is the hidden agenda behind those crazy wall sitters?

Is it possible to think you are getting in touch with yourself at the same time running from some other aspect in your life?

I wonder.

Well, whatever the zen guy's motivation, he always by my count had issues with authority

and a practice of withdrawing when things didn't go his way.

That's not really that funny--kind of infantile, don't you think?

And this was apparent long before he wore the Santa hat into the catholic church during Christmas service.

But I digress.

What happens when he has to finally face things besides the wall? 

I wonder.

The hippie chick (4)

The hippie chick is an elemental force

compressed by a stifling nurture of suffocating curfews and relentless mean spirited jabs.

When the spring inevitably sprung

ain't no way that bitch Pandora was ever going back in the box.

Unleashed was a warm sad tender angry compassionate whimpering force

that took in everything and everyone in its wake

especially the orphaned hurt abused hurt frustrated neglected.

No stone was left unturned, no path not experienced--

especially those prohibited.

Hey, but every storm has an eye, no?

and every genie escaping the bottle gets three wishes, right?

And if you use your third wish to wish for another wish doesn't that leave you with four?

Four children.

The eldest hedges restraint and irony.

I'll give you three guesses what he studied in college, but you won't need them.

Psychology.

I'll give you one guess what he does for a living.

Law enforcement

Even the youngest wants to be a cop.

What happens when you cross an irresistible force with immovable objects?

A family.

(mostly on the way to denver, on a plane, but then in a loft on wazee)