Reflections and Observations -- A Bright Passage from the Fantasies of Youth
to Illuminations of Advanced Maturity!
This Episode: Night of the Moth!!
You probably know how it is with GeezerHood, particularly if you, yourself are a Geezer. We tend to recall "Great Stories and Great Events" in our lives, especially when asked to relate such memorable stories or events to our children, grandchildren, other fascinated parties... meaning anyone who might foolishly ask for a re-recitation. It's sort of like a great novel being read by someone with a sonorous voice via public radio... rapturous, mesmerizing! (Or maybe not!)
A number of years ago, SweetHeart and I, along with our, then, only offspring, rented a cottage on the shores of Lake Michigan, near Cedar Grove, Wisconsin. We routinely invited SweetHeart's brother and his wife, Boobers and Patsy, to join us. They were best friends of ours, in addition to being beloved relatives.
On a memorable early morning on one of those glorious summer days at the cottage, probably about 2:00AM, Boobers and I had consumed a great deal of beer and other spirited potables. We were in the rubber round of a cribbage match, laughing and belching and telling each other lies and other "true adventures."
Boobers flicked a cigarette out the screen door. As he did so, an enormous moth flew into the kitchen area of the compact cottage. We watched the moth flit about irritatingly, disrupting our keen, if admittedly drunken concentration. Booby stumbled about, his hand with fingers outstretched, trying to capture the pesky moth. He, Boobers, became a knight errant, as if fully armored with broadsword and bludgeon at the ready. Eventually he
succeeded in capturing the moth.
He cradled the still living winged creature in his hand, stomped boldly with a great sense of purpose while staggering into the bathroom, and thrust the offensive prey into the toilet, flushing simultaneously. He walked back to the table and our cribbage game, a triumphant scowl on his face! "It's done for," he announced, confidently!
But then, the moth reappeared. It had obviously escaped the crazy, dizzying vortex of the flushing toilet, crawled up the bowl and took once again to the air. "Damn," we both shouted in disbelief. "How in the hell did that thing get out of the toilet?!" Booby re-captured the moth, this time a bit more roughly and threw it with great force into the toilet, flushing once again as he did so. "That'll show 'em," he said.
Boobers stayed in the bathroom, just to be sure. As the moth escaped the whirlpool and began crawling up the porcelain, out of the bowl, Booby used his beer and whisky-laden breath to force the moth into the vortex, flushing and blowing at the thing, like a mighty wind, and glowering at the seemingly indestructible "beast." The moth appeared to be a goner
It wasn't. It was soon flitting about the room. It seemed almost to have a triumphant and haughty look upon its mothy face! Another capture ensued. More thrusting, flushing and blowing. Repeated escapes! Nothing worked.
At this point, our uproarious laughter woke our respective spouses, SweetHeart and Patsy. "What are you two lunatics doing?" one of them asked in a sleepy and rather irritated voice. We related our adventure with the moth, pointing out the pesky creature as it flew jerkily around the kitchen, circling the overhead light! Booby captured the moth yet again. He had a look of murder in his eyes. "Wait a minute," said Patsy, "Let it live... If we can believe your ridiculous tale, the thing deserves to live after all you put it through."
Two more thumbs flew upward -- spectators at a Roman coliseum -- affirming the "winged gladiator's" right to life, after having endured so many indignities and near-death experiences!
"Oh, alright," said Boobers, resignedly. He opened the screen door and thrust it out. Another moth flew in!
You probably know how it is with GeezerHood, particularly if you, yourself are a Geezer. We tend to recall "Great Stories and Great Events" in our lives, especially when asked to relate such memorable stories or events to our children, grandchildren, other fascinated parties... meaning anyone who might foolishly ask for a re-recitation. It's sort of like a great novel being read by someone with a sonorous voice via public radio... rapturous, mesmerizing! (Or maybe not!)
A number of years ago, SweetHeart and I, along with our, then, only offspring, rented a cottage on the shores of Lake Michigan, near Cedar Grove, Wisconsin. We routinely invited SweetHeart's brother and his wife, Boobers and Patsy, to join us. They were best friends of ours, in addition to being beloved relatives.
Boobers flicked a cigarette out the screen door. As he did so, an enormous moth flew into the kitchen area of the compact cottage. We watched the moth flit about irritatingly, disrupting our keen, if admittedly drunken concentration. Booby stumbled about, his hand with fingers outstretched, trying to capture the pesky moth. He, Boobers, became a knight errant, as if fully armored with broadsword and bludgeon at the ready. Eventually he 
He cradled the still living winged creature in his hand, stomped boldly with a great sense of purpose while staggering into the bathroom, and thrust the offensive prey into the toilet, flushing simultaneously. He walked back to the table and our cribbage game, a triumphant scowl on his face! "It's done for," he announced, confidently!
But then, the moth reappeared. It had obviously escaped the crazy, dizzying vortex of the flushing toilet, crawled up the bowl and took once again to the air. "Damn," we both shouted in disbelief. "How in the hell did that thing get out of the toilet?!" Booby re-captured the moth, this time a bit more roughly and threw it with great force into the toilet, flushing once again as he did so. "That'll show 'em," he said.
Boobers stayed in the bathroom, just to be sure. As the moth escaped the whirlpool and began crawling up the porcelain, out of the bowl, Booby used his beer and whisky-laden breath to force the moth into the vortex, flushing and blowing at the thing, like a mighty wind, and glowering at the seemingly indestructible "beast." The moth appeared to be a goner
At this point, our uproarious laughter woke our respective spouses, SweetHeart and Patsy. "What are you two lunatics doing?" one of them asked in a sleepy and rather irritated voice. We related our adventure with the moth, pointing out the pesky creature as it flew jerkily around the kitchen, circling the overhead light! Booby captured the moth yet again. He had a look of murder in his eyes. "Wait a minute," said Patsy, "Let it live... If we can believe your ridiculous tale, the thing deserves to live after all you put it through."
Two more thumbs flew upward -- spectators at a Roman coliseum -- affirming the "winged gladiator's" right to life, after having endured so many indignities and near-death experiences!
"Oh, alright," said Boobers, resignedly. He opened the screen door and thrust it out. Another moth flew in!
Humbly Submitted, March 4, 2020! -- Joel K.
