Well, It's Saturday, my favorite day of the week.  Tater romped around on
the bed for a couple of hours before I got up.  When he noticed that I had
come to a state of wakefulness, was, in fact, semi-vertical, he decided that
it was time for him to take a nap.  Go figure?  Anyway, I followed my usual
morning routine: lit a smoke, got a cup of coffee and stumbled, bleary-eyed,
to the pooter to check the mail.  I did make one other stop but you folks
are, for the most part, polite company.  I will spare you those details.
 
Clutching the cup of hot brew in one hand, I convinced the mouse to let me
sign onto Cserve with the other hand.  Good little mouse.  I was, by then,
fully vertical, though not yet really awake.  I stared dumbly at the little
hourglass thingy on the screen for several minutes, wondering why it was
taking so long to go away this time.  My eyes finally drifted to the bottom
of the screen and I was nearly jolted out of the few senses I have left.
There were, literally, dozens of new messages coming in!
 
"Oh my God." I thought.  What have I done gone and did now?  Tater and I
must have stirred up one big ol' nest of hornets last night and now even
more people must have taken a disliking to us."
 
With trembling hands, feeling that BIG was going to reach out of the pooter
at any moment and snatch me bald-headed, I began reading the messages as
they finally started coming out of the printer.
 
I will have to admit that this Old Fert had to stop and wipe tears from his
eyes many times as he read the posts.
 
You folks are just Wonderful!  BIG was so right about you.  There are,
unfortunately, a few cranky people out there who take themselves and
their opinions just too seriously.  That is their problem, not ours.
The rest of you are the finest people anyone could ever hope to meet.
 
I was deeply touched by the many expressions of support, sympathy and love
which you were kind enough to send to us.  We are truly glad, and humbled,
by the fact that so many of you enjoy our postings.  Our abilities at
'storytelling' are a gift that Tater and I received from Someone Who has
given us many gifts, as well as many challenges.  We believe that any
gift, in order to be fully received and appreciated, must be shared with
others who might benefit from it.  There I go getting philosophical again,
and rambling.  Sorry.
 
Suffice it to say that our hearts are very happy today.  The good people -
both two and four-legged, on the FML have made them so.  Thank you.  It may
take some time, but we will respond to each of you individually.  While we
choose to ignore, even though it is very difficult for me, the words of
those who would attempt to cause us pain, we shall not ignore the many
friends we have made on the FML.
 
It is easy for me to delete offending files and throw half-read messages
into the trashcan where they belong.  It is very hard for me to throw them
out of my heart.  Tater and Mee Maw have promised to help me with this.
 
From this day forward, I shall attempt to share the joy and friendship of
those who look kindly upon the ramblings of an Old Man who loves his ferret,
and wife, very much.
 
With sincere thanks and humble gratitude, I remain,
 
Michael J. Schieman (Paw Paw)
[Posted in FML issue 1451]