It made his blood run cold
My 22-year-old son, Christopher, is living and working in Portland, Maine, this summer.
He called me today and was obviously shaken. Turned out he had a vision of sorts that sent an icy shiv into his spine. We Rileys are really not the "visions'' type, so I was interested in what he had to say about what could be a genuine paranormal experience, something out of Poe, Lovecraft and Bierce.
This is, nearly verbatim, what he told me: "I was in downtown Portland today. I had an hour to kill between appointments so I went into a number of used book stores and then I went into a comic book store....''
His voice dropped to a spectral whisper, the words coming very slowly now.
"That's when I saw it,'' he said.
"Calm down, boy,'' I fairly shouted. "What is it you saw?''
"There I was, and I saw, oh the horror, I was turning into my old man.''
"Sure, son, I shop used bookstores and everybody knows that Wednesday is new comic book day, and what's wrong with being like your dear old da-- Oh!''
Is there anything more scarier than the realization that the same blood that flows in your veins flows through the veins of the goofy codger who lays claim to your paternity?
Apparently not! The curse of literacy! And may God forgive me for laughing like some minor fiend from the pits of Hades at his discomfort.
"But I was strrong,'' my son said. "I didn't buy a single thing.''
Yes, the apparition of the boy's frugal mother must also have appeared to him.
And the battle for his young soul continues.
He called me today and was obviously shaken. Turned out he had a vision of sorts that sent an icy shiv into his spine. We Rileys are really not the "visions'' type, so I was interested in what he had to say about what could be a genuine paranormal experience, something out of Poe, Lovecraft and Bierce.
This is, nearly verbatim, what he told me: "I was in downtown Portland today. I had an hour to kill between appointments so I went into a number of used book stores and then I went into a comic book store....''
His voice dropped to a spectral whisper, the words coming very slowly now.
"That's when I saw it,'' he said.
"Calm down, boy,'' I fairly shouted. "What is it you saw?''
"There I was, and I saw, oh the horror, I was turning into my old man.''
"Sure, son, I shop used bookstores and everybody knows that Wednesday is new comic book day, and what's wrong with being like your dear old da-- Oh!''
Is there anything more scarier than the realization that the same blood that flows in your veins flows through the veins of the goofy codger who lays claim to your paternity?
Apparently not! The curse of literacy! And may God forgive me for laughing like some minor fiend from the pits of Hades at his discomfort.
"But I was strrong,'' my son said. "I didn't buy a single thing.''
Yes, the apparition of the boy's frugal mother must also have appeared to him.
And the battle for his young soul continues.
posted by Michael Riley at 4:00 PM
3 Comments:
Ah, Mr. Riley, It's a little bit sad, I wonder if you ever had the opportunity to look in a mirror and see a parent? It's always somewhat scary when it happens to me. But then it turns good. Your son will realize one day that he is blessed
One difference is that Chris learned how to swing a softball bat unlike his dad:-)
I know cuz I taught him.
Tell Chris we're 2 hours north of him in Bangor.
--A parishioner from the past.
Tell him he'll be okay unless he starts wearing huge eyeglasses.
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