 brad 

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Hello, all my little friends!
I don't think there's any denying that I'm the most amazing member of Killoggs. In fact, I'm probably the most amazing person, period, that any one of you has ever met, or will ever meet.
But you know, I wasn't always the marvelous person that you know today. I used to tell myself, "You're no good, Deason. You're washed up. You can't do a damn thing right anymore. You're invisible. If you died today, who would care?" One night, my thoughts haunted me terribly, and I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned in my bed for 3 hours with these terrible thoughts, then I bolted up and shouted, "ENOUGH!" I threw the covers off my body, lept out of my bed, turned the light on, threw on a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and some sneakers, and sprinted out the door. Where did I drive off to? Oh, no! I didn't DRIVE ANYWHERE. I just kept on RUNNING!
I ran across the Maryland State line into Virginia, and then across the Virginia State line into Kentucky. By the time I passed the Missouri state line, it was like my legs had a mind of they're own, like they were saying, "Listen buddy, you're on a mission, and you're not stopping until we say so!" I saw day and night pass three times, and I just kept running.
About noon of the fourth day, I began to feel dizzy and hulucinate when I crossed into the town of Horned Toad, Arizona. My run had turned to a jog, and then my jog to a crisscrossing stumble across the downtown area. As I stumbled from one side to the other, I observed the concerned looks on the faces of the town's people slowly blur to something that wasn't identifiable as any sort of expression at all, and then immediately collapsed onto the hot asphalt, lying on my back. The town's people rushed to me from all sides. I hadn't passed out, but I was so tired that I couldn't bring myself to stand up, even as the cruel heat of the pavement seared my already burned and blistered flesh.
"Is he okay?"
"Should someone call an ambulance?"
"Alright, everyone step aside, " I heard a gruff voice say. I opened my eyes to see the town's mayor standing over me. "Are you okay, son?" he said. I mustered a painfully dry swallow and attempted to say some words.
"I'm.... fine.... I just.... need some....water."
"Well hell," the mayor shouted to the people, "don't just stand there! You heard him! Someone fetch this man some water!" The mayor wiped the sweat from his brow and leaned closer, toward me. "What happened to you, son?" he said, " Where are you from?"
"I'm from a little town in Maryland called Hyattsville. I just got through running 3,000 miles."
"3,000 miles!" the mayor shouted. "Well hell, son, you're quite a man. In fact, I'm so proud of you, that I'm temporarily resigning from my position and appointing you Honorary Mayor of Horned Toad, for today only."
I stumbled to my feet and exclaimed, "MAYOR! ME! TODAY!" The mayor grabbed my left arm to brace me and said, "Easy son, you'd better rest up first."
"Forget it," I said. "Just get me a Red Bull and a Clif's Bar, and I'll get started right away."
On that day, I worked with civil engineers on plans for a public transportation system I initiated for the town, contracted a team of construction workers to begin work on the nation's only reptile petting zoo, and passed an ordinance requiring all public restrooms to have condom dispensers.
The town's permanant mayor walked in around 6pm to ask me about how everything went. When I told him about all of the progress I made, he proposed that I join him in a dual mayorship. "Sorry, mayor," I said, "I'm very honored, but there are lots of other towns in the US, towns with good, honest people, just like the ones in Horned Toad, who need my help too. I have to be moving on."
"I suppose you're right," he said, "Well, take care of yourself, Mr. Deason. And just remember, if life is ever getting you down, you have a lot of friends in Horned Toad, and you'll always be a most welcomed guest here."
"Life doesn't get me down, Mayor," I said, "Not anymore." And so I shook hands with the mayor and sprinted away, not stopping until I reached home. And that night, I slept sounder than I've ever slept before.
Also, I'm great in bed.
[ posted by brad at 02/19/2005 12:17:20 AM ] [ trackback ]
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