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BARACK OBAMA COMMANDER IN CHIEF

Many, many are presently talking about yesterday’s inauguration of Barack Obama. It seems that in the minds of many we have elected not a President, but the promised Messiah himself. Economic stability and prosperity are just around the corner. The Middle East crisis is now on its way to being solved. The immigration problem will soon be a thing of the past. A new and wonderful future is now assured for all of us as a marvelous golden era of change is about to revolutionize our nation! Somehow it all reminds me of a story I came across about a senator who visited Heaven and Hell:

While walking down the street one day a US senator was tragically hit by a truck and died. His soul arrived in heaven and was met by St. Peter at the entrance. 'Welcome to heaven,' says St. Peter. 'Before you settle in however, it seems there’s a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, so we're not sure what to do with you.'

'No problem, just let me in,' says the senator.

'Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.'

'Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,' says the senator.

'I'm sorry, but we have our rules.'

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse, and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him. Everyone is very happy and dressed in evening clothes. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf, and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before the senator realizes it, it’s time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises. The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven, where St. Peter is waiting for him.

'Now it's time to visit heaven.' So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns. ' Well, Senator, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.'

The senator reflects for a minute, then answers: 'Well, I would never have thought I would say this, but even though heaven has been delightful, I think that personally I would be better off in hell.' So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open, and he's in the middle of a gloomy, blistering hot, barren land. Everywhere he looks there’s cesspool sewage and garbage. He sees all his friends, but now they’re dressed in rags and picking up the garbage as they wade through the sewage that continues to fall from above. The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulders. 'I don't understand,' stammers the senator. 'Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course, and a clubhouse, where we ate lobster, caviar, and drank champagne. We were dancing and having a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage, and my friends look miserable. What happened?'

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, 'Yesterday we were campaigning. Today you voted.'

Some years ago I spent some time looking for the fabled "Lost Dutchman Goldmine" in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona. Looking back, I can remember a saying I often heard uttered: "All that glitters is not gold." It was a saying based on the fact that a worthless ore named iron pyrites, looked a good deal like real gold, and on more than one occasion it had been mistaken for true gold.

I recall one such incident that took place in the Superstitions when a man murdered his best friend to steal his friend’s share of the gold they’d found. After hiding the body, he left the Superstitions and fled to Hawaii. Once there he hoped to convert his gold into cash and then begin to live like a king. There was just one hitch in his plan; he soon discovered that the gold he’d murdered his partner to obtain, was nothing but iron pyrites, commonly known as “fool’s gold”. In a short time after the man’s arrival he was apprehended and he soon found that the worthless fool’s gold he’d acquired wasn’t so worthless after all. It ended up requiring him to pay for it with his life.

What’s the point? Simply this: some things look really good but they’re not always what they seem to be at the moment. All that glitters is definitely not always gold.

Is there something I’m not coming right out and saying? Yes, there is.

You figure it out.

Posted by cdrnorth at January 22, 2009 9:49 AM