Saturday, August 12, 2006

Mission to Mars

Lies, and especially outrageous lies, become facts at an old folks home.

My neighbor and I were sitting side by side in the sun on our scooters when he said, "Well, we have a man on the way to Mars."

"What?!!"

"We have a man on the way to Mars."

I am accustomed to distortions, rumours, and hallucinations at this facility, and usually I smile and agree, but this one is too much for me.

"We do NOT!"

"Yes, we do.  I have a son in the space program, so I know."

"We do NOT have a man on his way to Mars," I insist.  I may live among the demented, but  do not have to be one.

"Oh, well, not a man.  But a test to see if we could send a man."  He is retreating.  He is still spouting screwball stuff, but that can pass for normal around here.  And after all, in the broadest sense, the Mars probes are gathering data that would be useful in space exploration.  I hate confrontation, so I relent.

"Oh, good," I say.

Bon Voyage, Mars Rover III, happy landing.  Send us a post card.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Chuck,
You never fail to get a smile outta me...Pop into my journal and read my entry "Amazed" on August 11........you are in there for just this reason! Have a great day! B. Lynne
http://journals.aol.com/herheadsnacloud/ADayInTheLifeOfAnACOA/

Anonymous said...

There is A resturante in New York City Named Mars maybe he was thinking of that!? LOL! Have a great day!

Anonymous said...

Well, as you know I am from the 'Rocket City' of Huntsville, AL. The arsenal there is a part of  NASA, Mashall Space Flight Center. Not that I know a lot about it, but it is coming. I think everyone around that area already accepts it. Perhaps, even more causual than other areas that doesn't see space stuff around them every day.  If I'm not mistaken, isn't there a book with the title, 'Mission to Mars'? If not, there is one very similar.  Before I read your journal entry, I thought that was what you were talking about.  <smile>
Jackie

Anonymous said...

Hey Chuck you gotta get outta there more often. Ride your scooter to Star Bucks. Paula

Anonymous said...

Oh Charles, what a hoot!  You always get a chuckle out of me.  I can so relate to this type of story.  We have a lady who sits kind of behind me in the dinning room who's hearing aids aren't working.  Therefore every statement she says can be heard all over the dinning room.  Today it was "Where is that man going so fast and without his wheelchair.  Oh, he has to go to the bathroom."  It's a blessing that the gentleman in question is also very hard of hearing and did not hear her.  Annie
desannie    

Anonymous said...

lol have a good weekend:)

Deb

Anonymous said...

Oh Lord, Chuck! I loved this !!! LOL lol...
Made my day alot brighter...THANK YOU CHUCK!
carlene

Anonymous said...

I was on the Mission to Mars ride at either Disneyland or Walt Disney World many years ago.  If I claim I've been to Mars, will anyone believe me?  - Karen

Anonymous said...

I have to deal with a person that does not live in reality and it gets on my nerves when he goes on and on about his delusions.     I don't think your neighbor is too much of a problem as the person I know is.     He does the heavy lifting for me so I tolerate him but I am going to tell him he is causing me to lose concentration when I am paying him to work.     I told him once when he started that his continual talking was making me unable to think about the construction and he quieted up.     That did not last.     He goes on and on and on.     mark