Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Once in a Lifetime

Once in a lifetime a man should do what a man should do.


I heard this one recently and I thought to myself, "what the heck is that, what a man should do?"


This story made me curious and since I had no idea what this was all about, I started research. The first person I asked about was my mom. She is visiting from Germany and staying at my house so it was more a practical decision, than a scientific one. I soon regretted that first step of mine. Of course she didn't give me any satisfactory answer but she surely knew how to use that opportunity to tell me all that I did wrong throughout my life. "I told you not to mary that woman, now she left you for another one!"- yeah, I know... "Your kids have no education, they don't do what I tell them to do! Why did you forgot my birthday (1973)? No son does that to a mother!"... And so on, and on. After 30 minutes of stabbing I took the one second she stopped talking to catch some breath, gave her a kiss and left home in the search for answers.


At the bar around the corner I went for a second try. Only few people, all male, where sitting casually around some tables and at the counter when I walked in. When I saw this I had a great idea! I went to the counter and spoke out loud: "Once in a lifetime a man should do what a man should do!"
The reaction was immediately. "Yes, give it to the bitch!" someone yelled from a corner, "They all deserve it!" came from the opposite side. In less than a second the entire bar was involved in a fears discussion bitching about their wifes, girl friends, women in general and everybody seemed to know exactly what I was talking about. Everyone but me.


So I left the bar and the shouting group of unhappy men, again with no answer to my question. After 15 minutes walking with no particular direction neither a certain destiny, I walked by a church. The bells were calling for a evening sermon and I decided to walk in. At the door the priest welcomed everyone personally, a smile on his face until it was my turn and I greeted him with "Once in a lifetime a man should do what a man should do!" 


"We have a sinner among us looking for forgiveness!" he yelled out loud. Immediately I was surrounded by a group of elderly woman pushing and pulling me around and talking non stop about my sins and that I had to open my heard for Jesus and pay penitention and seek for the Lords forgiveness and I had to become a member of this particular church and, and, and...


Exhausted, my shirt almost ripped apart, I managed to leave just before the exorcist arrived. 


On my way home I walked by a police car standing at the corner of my street. The officer saw me and wondered about my look and asked me if I was all right.
I answered him "Once in a lifetime a man should do what a man should do."


The officer jumped out of his car, his gun in his hand, through me to the ground cuffing me and calling for backup, somehow he did all this at the same time. 


Hours later my interrogatory was over and I was able to explain what happened and that I didn't kill my wife nor my mother or anyone else. I paid a fine, called a cab and went back home.


In the living room both my daughters were sitting on the couch watching their favorite show on TV. When they saw me they jumped up, hug and kissed me and asked me to sit with them and to watch TV. 


And while I sat with them, remembering all the things that had happen to me that day, I looked into their eyes and I knew the answer I was looking for. And I knew that everything I've done in my life so far was right. I knew that I will always have ups and downs but no matter what happened, as long as I keep doing what I do, I will be doing what a man should do.


The more love I give, the more I will receive.



1 comment:

  1. Matias Schweiger @ facebookSeptember 8, 2010 at 6:01 AM

    You know, getting older always means you´re getting wiser. And Love is for sure number one in the world of wisdom.
    I love you too.
    Big hug

    ReplyDelete