Sorry about the double post. I'm away on business staying in a convention city. Had a witness citing at my hotel which is kind of surprising since it's a little upscale not the usual dump (read Quality Inn, Day's Inn, Clarion etc.) First couple I saw was retirement age, a little on the hefty side, badges in full view unloading their car. I caught a glimpse of their luggage which contained maybe half dozen bottles of wine. No doubt partying after 8 hours of mind numbing propaganda.
Couple number two I would bet were pioneers. Driving a rusted out Subaru station wagon. Both looked absolutely disgusted with each other as they harriedly unloaded their luggage. Did I mention that it was at least 100 degrees? Brother pioneer in spite of the heat was wearing a full very mussed looking suit. I know you get the picture after having attended a few conventions yourselves.
It reminded me though, that such outings are absolute bullshit. I remember vividly from the time I was a child that both my parents and siblings could hardly wait for the program to be over. All day long you'd sit in a hot overcrowded stadium in chairs that were meant for a three hour baseball game at most. At least at a ball game you could wear shorts and a T shirt and drink beer and eat hot dogs. At an assembly you got up a zero dark thirty and waited at the gate to save a seat that wasn't in the blazing sun, praying to a god that doesn't exist that hopefully no one would steal your seats.
Then, six hours later you could eat a lukewarm sandwich and walk aimlessly around for two hours "fellowshipping." The highlight of the afternoon would be a thunderstorm that would immediatley be followed by full sunshine rendering the entire venue a gigantic Turkish bath. No wonder the wits are raging alkies. After a day like that, I drank myself into oblivion on more than one occasion. Why why why?
The best part of the whole convention starts months before the actual date. You kill yourself to get to the TMS/Service Meeting in order to spend the entire evening being told how to make a hotel reservation and what to pack for lunch.
I was thinking about the couples I saw last night and was really feeling sorry for them. I was just like them once ago. Today I wonder how could I be so fooled. I wondered how many are putting themselves through such useless agony? Then I remembered a saying from my Dad. "If you're dumb you gotta be tough."
