Off to the Land of the Creoles

This is off topic, but it is my life. A group of my best friends and I are going to Louisiana  to inter the ashes  of the late husband of a good friend, into the family cemetery in New Iberia, LA.

There will be a large group.  A few are flying in, others are driving in, and we are traveling from Richmond,  Va to New Iberia  in an RV. The RV is stocked but we will be stopping for meals. There is no room in fridge given the space taken up by beer and other types of adult beverages.  There is a large "snack" drawer filled with chips, cookies, crackers, and other snacks. 

Luckily we have a driver who does not drink so we will be travelling safely. The women  onboard will spend the 20 or so hours remembering Fred, drinking to Fred, solving all the problems of the world,  enjoying each other's company, and making sure none of the of the libations in the fridge go to waste. 

So at 7 am tomorrow we head out.

The Spirit of the Lord?

I often think of George and his psychosis. Before therapy, I had no clue what the terms "psychosis" or "psychotic" meant. Of course this tidbit is only helpful in a game of Trivial Pursuit  (in the category of "Science and Nature", not one of my stronger areas). It is amazing the things you learn while in a group of mentally unstable folks. But I digress.

Is hearing God calling from the overhead fluorescent lights in truth a sign of divine faith? Or is it an alternate fact put forth by the paranoid like the suggestion that the government can spy on you through your microwave?

We (well a majority of folks in my generation) have all seen Ernest Angsly on that odd TV channel early on Sunday morning, calling for the sick and suffering to come forward. Once he puts his hand on their head, says words of prayer, and then yells "Heal", the cripple can suddenly walk, the blind can see, and the body is rid of cancer. Rev Angsly preaches that the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, works these miracles through the Reverend himself.

Personally I cannot explain his power or the divine pageantry of his services. I always suspected if his power was consistent, whether it be the power of the Lord for believers only or the power to heal any soul, that a major research center (ie the NIH or Johns Hopkins) would have seriously studied him and his "powers" in search of a possible widespread use. Or, at least, the Mayo Clinic would have approached him to assist them as they handle patients with some of the worse medical issues. 

Whatever the case, he is quick to remind his followers, he cannot do it alone.  For a monthly payment of just 12.99 (call now) you can assist the Lord  (and the Reverend) continue his crusade saving souls, healing the sick, and comforting those who suffer.

A hymn of salvation is sung and a final prayer given. The offering plate is passed. The crowd leaves filled with the spirit of the glory of the Lord. The tent comes down, the traveling show moves to the next town as the Reverend counts his money.

Frankly, if I were a Godly person I would find more faith in the Spirit of the Lord, or at least the Holy Ghost, coming from the lights overhead or speaking to me every Tuesday and Wednesday through my television set on Channel 18. But, alas, I am not psychotic. 

Perhaps phycosis is misunderstood. It could be another person's connection to God. Of course that would only be for those who heard God's voice, not that of the devil, a game show host, or Keith Richards coming to them "live" in their head.