[Dialogue] RE: Ann Gree & Frank Lee

Fri Feb 25 12:25:50 EST 2005

David,

I am replying to you and copying the Dialogue.  Let us see what happens.

The listserv objects because we are using software that is trying to protect
subscribers from having viruses and Trojans embedded in the formatted text.
I do not know what software you are using to compose your messages.  Also,
are you using a word processor to compose your messages and then pasting
them into your e-mail client program?  If you have the ability to choose
Plain Text in your e-mail client editor and/or your word processing
software, then you need to do that and see what happens.  If this is totally
confusing, let me know.  I am going to be offline for a little while until I
get my new laptop up and running so you may wish to call me or wait until I
get back online!  Great to hear from you.  Let Lin know we send our love and
regards to both of you.

Peace,
Harry Wainwright
828-299-9382

-----Original Message-----
From: David & Lin Zahrt [mailto:ch.bnb at longlines.com]
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 11:11 AM
To: h-wainwright at charter.net
Subject: Ann Gree & Frank Lee

Harry, I know you said something about my using html and the listserve
kicking it back. But I don't know what I should be doing to correct that.
This is the way I send text out all the time. I just thought it was word
processing that I dumped into an email. The list serve is the only one that
'objects'.

Can  you elaborate the steps I need to take?

continued adventures of Iron Man--ANN GREE & FRANK LEE

As he left the creek, he heard a familiar voice farther down the creek at
the old cow tank collection pool. "Goddamn it, the water is cold!" It was
his old high school sweetheart, Ann Gree, a powerful woman who with proper
direction, could literally pull tree stumps from the ground. Without
direction, however, she would fly about in a tiz, smashing things and
increasing her own rage in the process. "First I could not sleep because you
forgot the air mattress, then that bloody bird had to come around and wake
me up and then I found the whipped butter had popped open in the cooler. Oh,
just thinking about that makes me mad."
"Oh shut up bitch, you are not happy unless you have something to bitch
about! What did you expect, a hot spring?" Frank Lee responded.
Iron Man knew that the other voice belonged to Frank Lee. Frank had a way of
putting things that was, well, rather blunt to say the least. Iron Man found
it amusing that Ann stayed with Frank, as if she really did need someone to
piss her off, as if she actually looked for things to be mad about. Iron Man
certainly knew how to be blunt, but he found that saying things indirectly
was often more effective than being blunt. With Ann Gree, bluntness fed
right into her trip, and whether or not it really helped her was a matter of
opinion. Frank was the kind of guy who went around pushing people's buttons
without realizing why people got so irritated.
Iron Man, reluctant to discount anything, nurtured the remote possibility
that Frank was in fact a superb actor who pretended to be ignorant and got
his kicks by messing with peoples minds. At first Iron Man had hated Frank's
guts, but he soon came to the conclusion that Frank was a wonderful
oppprtunity for learning. Through Frank, Iron Man got to find out where some
of his own buttons were, and what it took to push them. Remaining aware that
Frank was a 'button pusher' became an amusing Zen game for Iron Man. And he
could even laugh at himself when Frank occasionally got through and really
pissed him off.
As soon as Iron Man had decided to use Frank's manner to uncover his own
bullshit, a wonderful transformation occurred; the level of animosity
between Frank and Iron Man was reduced to nearly nil. And Frank rarely
irritated him anymore. Frank even began to look up to Iron Man as if his
ideas-quite contrary to Franks mainstream mind, as they were-were not so
crazy after all.
Iron Man was not really so sure. People often seemed to think that he was
well thought through and sure of himself, strong and wise, but inside he
felt lost and insecure. The whole outer face he put on seemed to be just an
act to him. Iron Man did not really know if he was doing Frank a favor or
not by making subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, hints that Frank's
obsession with objects and the whole western racist mindset was full of
crap. Frank had seemed happy with the whole trip after all. And Iron Man
wondered if he should not just let him be.
It was a common dilemma for Iron Man. Wherever he went he seemed to wind up
with people trapped in small cozy worlds; as if it were some cosmic
assignment of his to "expand" their perspectives. Iron Man often wondered
how constrained his own world was; wondered if he even knew what he was
doing to these people, but he could not resist messing with their trips when
it seemed necessary.
Iron Man was not sure of much in a direct intellectual sense. There was
simply not enough information to work it all out rationally. But
nevertheless he had to act. Interestingly, the people most opposed to him at
first, and the ones he messed with most were the first to say, "Hey wait,
don't go," when it was time for Iron Man to move on.

Wherever it was he was moving on to was still a mystery. The long odyssey he
was on had no end in sight. Sometimes the utter absurdity of it all seemed
about to blast him into another dimension, but something held him back. He
was unwilling to let go of it still; clinging to the only life he could
remember. Whatever it was that lay beyond the trip he was on now was
unknown, and his animal fear of the unfamiliar was still strong enough to
keep him in the safe territory of the known. Like the early explorers, the
fear of falling over the edge of the earth and or being devoured by monsters
kept him from venturing far enough to discover a new world, however
unpleasant the old one had become.

Iron Man bypassed the commotion and walked into the clearing of an old ghost
town where all that remained was an old road and flat areas where shacks had
once stood. It was an old story involving a mother lode that was never
found, and Mother Earth giving up just enough gold to drive men mad for a
spell.
The sun shone in the clearing and Iron Man sat own to soak some up. It was
not long before his peace was interrupted by two smartly dressed young Moron
sunglass salesmen who wandered into the clearing.
"Excuse me sir." began the older one "Can we have a moment of your time? We
have these sunglasses here that are the world's best," continued the younger
man.
"Actually they are the only true sunglasses" said the older one, squatting
awkwardly beside Iron Man.
"ls that so?" queried Iron Man.
"Yes sir, these here sunglasses will protect the wearer from the damaging
rays of the sun and allow them to see the way through this world clearly."
"That sure is interesting" replied Iron Man. "That is exactly what the other
guys swear too".
"Oh no," interjected the younger Moron, "They are all wrong, only these
glasses are real. Their design is inscribed on gold plates that were found
by the founder of our corporation."
"Have you seen the plates yourself?" asked Iron Man.
"Er, well no, nobody is allowed to see them" explained the older one. "Only
our leader has the power to read them anyway so that proves that these sun
glasses are the only real ones. Besides, we are not supposed to question our
leader's infinite wisdom. Any way, everyone knows that."
"Gosh," replied Iron Man. "It must be nice having it all figured out for you
like that; don't think, just follow like sheep! Actually, I think that there
are many kind of sun-glasses that can be used to see clearly" continued Iron
Man, "and I intend to develop my own."
"You are lost!" exclaimed the stunned Morons incredulously backing
cautiously away.
"Help me I'm lost! Bahahah! Har Har!" exclaimed Frank who had walked up
behind the two Morons while they were busy trying to sell their wares.
Iron Man winced. "Hey, O.K. Frank, let them be, they have had enough!"
"Oh Man, can't I torture them some? You are lost! Ha Ha!"
Iron Man got up off the ground and brushed off his jeans. "Actually Frank,"
said Iron Man, meeting Frank's gaze, "they are correct on that point. The
only thing is that I know I'm lost. Many people are lost but don't know it.
Maybe they just think they are 'found' or perhaps they have never considered
the concept" continued Iron Man turning to Ann Gree who had appeared at
Frank's side.
"Are you trying to sell us somethin', Iron Man?" asked Frank suspiciously
"Who me?" said Iron Man with a smile. "Wadda you think Frank? See you around
mates. I've gotta' take a hike." Iron Man turned and started up the old road
to the ridge, leaving the pair behind in the dust of the old town

--
David Zahrt
22133 Larpenteur Rd
Turin, IA 51040
(712) 353-6772 Phone

<mailto: david at country-homestead.com>
<http://www.country-homestead.com>
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