Be Not Afraid

In current parlance, it would have been called a 'man cave', but it was merely a semi-finished section of the basement where the weight set was kept, and the books on the shelves were cheap paperbacks, not quite worthy to share the bookshelves in the living room where the pretty hardcover books resided. On the wall was a poster, popular in the early 1970s, bearing a quote, a parody of Psalm 23, which is apocryphally attributed to Patton:

As a kid, I thought this poster was one of the funniest things I'd ever seen, and the semi-illicit thrill of seeing a naughty word only added to its appeal.

A few nights ago, I was walking on a path, adjacent to the fence around the site perimeter that leads from the administrative area (parking lot, offices, shop, concessions) to the bulk of the site where the visitors go to experience our programs. The path runs along the main road, but has considerable tree cover. As I was walking, I caught the distinct aroma of cannabis. Regarding the stuff (and all narcotics, truth to tell), I think it should be legal, regulated, and taxed, just like booze. Just like booze, I don't want anybody partaking of it at my workplace (unless, of course, it's legalized, and the organization wants to celebrate an April 20th Hemp Day). There was nobody on the path itself, but as I rounded a bend, I saw a man on the sidewalk, peering over the perimeter fence. I don't know for sure if he'd been the one smoking, but he and I were the only ones in the vicinity. If he had been smoking, the THC certainly didn't impair his perception, because he immediately became aware of my presence, and he was very helpful:

"There's an animal up ahead, on the right hand side. Don't be scared."

Perhaps remembering the poster in the basement, I replied, "Thank you, sir, but that's okay. I'm the scariest animal on the premises."

Post title taken from this hymn.