HELLO, I'M HOME 591
Did you read where President Carter
recently attended the National Prayer
Breakfast, and all but one person,
Miss Lillian, his mother, rose to their
feet as he entered the banquet hall?
We can certainly sympathize with
Mr. Carter in this situation, for we
often encounter similar circumstances.
Here's how it goes at the end of our
workday...
"Hello, everybody, I'm home."
(Silence)
"Hey, anybody home?"
(More silence...The passages of the
first century catacombs were never
quieter than the halls of my home.)
I enter the living room...all eyes are
glued to the TV. Then it hits me...
All the kids are stone deaf when a
good television receiver is placed
within six inches of their eyeballs
and the volume is turned up extra
loud.
Then I go into the kitchen...
"Honey, I'm home."
"Shhhh! I'll be with you in minute."
Can't you see I'm on the phone?"
"You wouldn't treat me this way,
If I were the President of the United
States."
"O really...Come on now, be serious."
"Now, I ask you, Jimmy, whatever happened
to the good old days...There's just no respect
any more."
(Written on February 22, 1979)