Fly on Your Face
Years and years ago, I spent time at college with a lot of guys who didn't have a lot to do. I knew a guy named Steve Heckman who was a frat brother in a frat that I never joined. We were all spending a lazy, hungover Sunday afternoon watching football. Steve was on the floor, in front of the television, wrapped in a blanket. During the game a long, drawn-out commercial about starving kids in Africa played out. We were all silent, kind of sucked in and despondent about what was happening on our screen.
All at once, Steve spoke: "If that kid is so hungry why doesn't he eat the fly on his face?"
I laughed as hard as everyone else in the room. I was also shocked into thinking that this is how we react to such a situation.
Some twenty-five years later I can still hear Steve making that comment. When I close my eyes I can still see where he was in the room and how he reacted as we all laughed.
Why is that? Why is that the all-time greatest quote of my life. "If he's so hungry why doesn't he eat the fly on his face?"
I suppose that it is all about what we are and what we aren't supposed to say or do. I'm sure that twenty-five years later Steve Heckman has forged a decent life. He probably has a wife and kids and hasn't even thought about what he said that lazy Sunday. Yet I remembered it and why?
Because sometimes it's necessary to understand that the worst of all possible thoughts rings true. My old friend was only joking. It was a joke that wasn't right, but there are people out there who have such limited understanding of what life is truly about.
Why doesn't he eat the fly on his face?
God there's got to be another way.
All at once, Steve spoke: "If that kid is so hungry why doesn't he eat the fly on his face?"
I laughed as hard as everyone else in the room. I was also shocked into thinking that this is how we react to such a situation.
Some twenty-five years later I can still hear Steve making that comment. When I close my eyes I can still see where he was in the room and how he reacted as we all laughed.
Why is that? Why is that the all-time greatest quote of my life. "If he's so hungry why doesn't he eat the fly on his face?"
I suppose that it is all about what we are and what we aren't supposed to say or do. I'm sure that twenty-five years later Steve Heckman has forged a decent life. He probably has a wife and kids and hasn't even thought about what he said that lazy Sunday. Yet I remembered it and why?
Because sometimes it's necessary to understand that the worst of all possible thoughts rings true. My old friend was only joking. It was a joke that wasn't right, but there are people out there who have such limited understanding of what life is truly about.
Why doesn't he eat the fly on his face?
God there's got to be another way.
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