A couple of stories

Here are a couple of stories that have come to me via the Internet, stories I think are worth sharing. One perhaps will make you smile; one may make you think before you react to some situations; both are by unknown authors:

Dear Dad

A father passing by his son's bedroom noticed the room was unusually clean, and he saw an envelope propped up prominently on the pillow. It was addressed, 'Dad'. With the worst premonition, the father opened the envelope and read the letter with trembling hands.

Dear, Dad. It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing to you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend, because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mum and you.

I've been finding real passion with Stacy. She is so nice, but I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercings, tattoos, her tight Motorcycle clothes, and because she is so much older than I am.

But it's not only the passion, Dad. She's pregnant.

Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children.

Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that mari*juana doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people in the commune for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want.

In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so that Stacy can get better. She sure deserves it!

Don't worry Dad, I'm 15, and I know how to take care of myself. Someday, I'm sure we'll be back to visit so you can get to know your many grandchildren.

Love, your son, Josh

P.S . Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Jason's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the school report card that's on the kitchen table. Call when it is safe for me to come home.

Which witch

A high school class is learning about the Salem Witch Trials. Their teacher told them they were going to play a game.

"I'm going to come around and whisper to each of you whether you're a witch or a regular person. Your goal is to build the largest group possible that does NOT have a witch in it. At the end, any group found to include a witch gets a failing grade."

The teens dove into grilling each other. One fairly large group formed, but most of the students broke into small, exclusive groups, turning away anyone they thought gave off even a hint of guilt.

"Okay," the teacher said. "You've got your groups. Time to find out which ones fail. All witches, please raise your hands."

No one raised a hand.

The kids were confused and told the teacher he'd messed up the game. "Did I?" he asked. "Was anyone in Salem an actual witch? Or did everyone just believe what they'd been told?"

And that is how you show kids how easy it is to divide a community.

(Shunning, scapegoating, placing blame and dividing will each destroy far more than they will protect. Don't allow fear to cloud your decisions. Use your own discernment. Trust your heart... and your gut. The best teachers will show you where to look, but they won't tell you what to see.)

© 2023 Mel Makaw. Mel, local writer/photographer and author of On the Bright Side, a Collection of Columns (available locally at Tehachapi Arts Center and Healthy Hippie Trading Co), welcomes your comments at [email protected].