Both Sides of the Fence
A Tosa resident since 1991, Christine walks the dog, raises kids, cooks but avoids housework, writes and reads, and works too much. A Quaker and
The Aging Maven, she has been known to stand on both sides of the political and philosophic fence at the same time, which is very uncomfortable when you think about it. She writes about pretty much whatever stops in to visit her busy mind at the moment. One reader described her as "incredibly opinionated but not judgmental." That sounds like a good thing to strive for!
Ashes and postcards
By Christine McLaughlin
Sunday, Jun 3 2007, 12:25 AM
I’m not normally a very superstitious person, but when a message falls out of the sky at your feet, well, you read it with a little extra attention.
Saturday morning around 11, the dog and I were walking our usual route when there was a loud bang. I didn’t think much of it: this is the season of fireworks and ceremonial cannon firings, after all.
My lungs started getting twitchy as they do when there’s smoke in the air, and there was an astringent feel in my mouth. But I didn’t realize this was from smoke until neighbor Dorothy asked why her deck was covered with ash.
I looked up, and two pieces of paper fluttered down from the sky. One was a postcard with a heart holding a telephone and the words “Let’s talk about me for a sec.” Handwritten carefully in the margins on the other side, around the advertising copy for St. Joseph aspirin, were the words “Honesty, integrity & fair play.”
The card was addressed to L Gaulke, 10915 W. Wisconsin Avenue.
At the time, I was a mile from the explosion that destroyed Lorraine Gaulke’s house and took her life.
The other sheet of paper was from an order of service or a prayer book. If this too came from Mrs. Gaulke’s house, I’ll assume that the words were important to her and pass them along.
Jesus, Savior, pilot me
Just as I am, without one plea
Take my life and let it be
O Master let me walk with Thee.
