7:43 p.m. | 2003-03-28 The Oddest Proposal I Ever Overheard. Before launching into this bizarre story, here�s a sickness update. I know you all wanna know how I�m doing because you�re all cool like that. Anyway, I am feeling better. I added some actual medicinal treatments to my Popsicle remedy. I am now one big snot machine. I�m decongesting big time. Sneezing, coughing and blowing my nose. Oh, and my ears are clearing up too. Why didn�t you all tell me that I had the TV volume up so loud? I actually jumped back when I flipped on the TV today. Yowza! So, it looks like this little virus or whatever is working through its course. I�m starting to get whiny and want to get the hell outta my house. Hopefully, in a couple of days, I�ll be good as new. And, thanks for all the well wishes. They're appreciated. I went to law school at night because I worked all day. Night school tends to cater to us older folks, so although we had some youngsters amongst us, most of us ranged in ages from the late twenties up into the forties and fifties. There was this guy in our class, Bob, who was perhaps in his late forties. He was an officer in a privately-held family business that was amongst the Fortune 500 businesses. I�m not quite sure what they did, but I think they bought and sold other businesses. No matter what the subject matter was in class (chickens, bricks, boxers, dice, etc.), he always had claimed knowledge of such. When asked why he had chosen to go to law school, he said that the current family attorney was going to retire soon and they needed a replacement. Bob said that all the officers of the business drew straws to see who would be the next company attorney. And, of course, he drew the short straw. That was perhaps the most interesting motivation � besides a drunken dare � in our class. Most wanted to either make money or reform/improve the justice system. But, I digress. Bob had been married for 20-something years and had several children. However, law school can try marriages and it certainly tried his. Within the first year, he started having an affair with Wanda, the youngest (23) female student in our class. It was interesting and sad at the same time. He left his family and moved into his own place. Class discussions became vigorous debates as Bob was far right (politically) and Wanda was far left. And, they sat next to each other. Some professors took advantage of this potential fodder and often called on both of them when discussing highly-charged cases. It was entertaining to say the least. Eventually, Wanda went back to her college sweetheart and got married. By then, Bob was divorced and out on the singles market. It was during our third year when he hooked up with Blondie. She transferred into our class at some point, so we didn�t really know her. He did though. He came to know her very well. She was closer to his age I think� maybe in her mid-thirties. At first, Bob tried to keep his affairs secret because he was married. But, even after the divorce, he tried to keep his affairs private. After all, he was an officer in Fortune 500 company and he�d had a long-term marriage with kids and all. It�s all about image, you know? So, you can imagine my surprise when Bob and Blondie appeared one Thanksgiving at the very same homeless shelter that a girlfriend (non law student) and I had volunteered to help out at. My girlfriend, not knowing of this situation, was clueless. I, knowing the situation, acknowledged his presence but acted disinterested and discreet. All the volunteers went about to serve some homeless folks Thanksgiving dinner. The folks in the kitchen, including my girlfriend, were cooking. I was part of the serving line and put rolls on the clients� plates. Bob and Blondie were in charge of making (re-hydrating) mashed potatoes. The kitchen and serving line were open to each other. As I was placing a roll on a plate, I heard the following. �I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?� I turned around to see Bob proposing to Blondie over a huge pot of mashed potatoes. In a homeless shelter. There were gloves and hairnets and all. Drunk, disheveled and hungry patrons out front; a blossoming romance in the back. It took all my might to suppress my laughter. Not that it couldn�t have been a romantic moment, just the players were all wrong. And, he had a rather dismal track record. That proposal never panned out either. Anyway, I saw Bob recently escorting another lovely lady into a chic restaurant in my neighborhood. He�s got game. That�s for sure. your thoughts? seed flower