gift of hope remained
through his misfortunes his hope
was proximity
The gift of hope had remained with Pat through his misfortunes–and the valuable alloy of his hope was proximity.
Above all things one must stick around, one must be there when the glazed, tired mind of the producer grappled with the question ‘Who?’
So presently Pat wandered out of the drug-store, and crossed the street to the lot that was home.
From The Complete Pat Hobby Stories: Pat Hobby and Orson Welles by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Esquire Magazine, May, 1940.
I so so so want this news cycle to end.
There is a name of a person in the news I would pay cash money to never hear again.
There is a story told during the era of FDR of a rich man who arrived at his office everyday, got out of his limo and bought a paper from the nearest paper boy, looked at the headlines and handed it back.
“What are you looking for Mister?” asked the paperboy one day.
“An obituary,” said the rich man.
“But Mister,” said the paperboy, “Obits aren’t on the front page!“
“The one I am waiting for will be.“
I am slowly becoming hardened to the fact that I may not live to see a resolution of this news cycle in my favor.
But the alloy of my hope is proximity.
Above ALL THINGS one must stick around.
One must be there.
I tell my kids (quoting Jim Harrison though they don’t know it) that the list of folks who get fired for being late to work is as long as my arm.
STICK AROUND.
BE THERE.
As the State of South Carolina license plates say, While I Breathe, I Hope!
‘Scuse me while I run out and buy a paper.
No Haiku For You 