Re: A Man's Monster

Joe Rogan has a version of this story.

But this is the version my father passed onto me. I call it the Haitian version.

I was beat up after school one day. I was in the second grade.

The school called my pops and he came to pick me up.

We got in the car and he scolded me...how do you expect to protect your mom and sisters if you can't protect yourself?!

"He was bigger then me." I responded.

That's no excuse.

"He had his friends with him." Thinking maybe that would serve as justification.

Pops exhales and puts the car back into park.

He goes onto to explain how all men have a monster and capable of summoning their monster. The captain of the chess club has a monster, the priest has a monster, the feeble beggar curbside in front of the convenient store has a monster. I have a monster.

Men who purport to be victims are men whom never learned to meet their monster. At the time, I was pissed, frustrated and was cursing him (in my mind of course).

Him and his silly Haitian mambo jumbo I thought quietly, about monsters.

Years later at the ripe age of 17, I witnessed my father's monster. Even now, I shrink at the thought of it as I write this note. It was then that conversation clicked and made sense to me.

Bare with me, there is a point.

I discovered my monster not to long after that. As a young man, he manifested easily and often. But as I've gotten older I've learned it was best he stay in the closet.

History is riddled with atrocities and violence conducted by men who did not know when to retire their monster and when to let it loose.

Men make up many bad, some of the worst statics in human history, because of their monster.

I've been coming to this place for 3 years now. While My family worries about me coming out here periodically to get out of the city. I've never had to summon my monster in this place.

Folks focus on the pooch. But unfortunately, she's a decoy. Her presence gives me the time I may need to summon my monster should I have the need.

So for the next few days, I look forward to hanging with Walking Man and my pooch.

I don't expect I'll have any need of my monster.

I can't say that when I'm in the city.

I have no son to pass this story to. So I post it here. Perhaps for my descendents to find if I am no longer around to share it as my father did with me.

#RandomBrainThings