One of the things my ole buddy Czech used to say is, “Is it true what they say?” not really referring to anything in particular. I guess he was just trying to see where the question would lead. Well Ancinec, I found out that it is true what “they” say, at least when “they” say, “Confession is good for the soul.” 

I could not believe how I felt after the confession. It was like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. I could breath normally. I felt clean. I felt un-guilty for the first time in years. The confession took place this past weekend while Paula and I were in Abilene for our family reunion. I don’t remember who all was there to hear it, and it didn’t matter if anyone heard except me. 

“Hey Grump.” 

“What?” 

“Not to interrupt or anything, but don’t you mean when you said it, instead of when you heard it?” 

“No, I meant what I said, you don’t think I was talking about my confession do you?” 

“Well, yes. How else could it have made you feel the way you described!?” 

“Hey now don’t go get’n all huffy on me. You’re the one who broke into my story here.” 

Now, where was I? Oh yes. I have no ides how the conversation got there but somehow I had mentioned that when she was gone for a few days I didn’t make the bed. That’s when she said it. She said, “Yep, I don’t make the bed when you’re not home either.” I didn’t say a thing. I was literally dumbfounded. I have no idea how many years I had gone about my business while Paula was out of town, always feeling guilty about not having made the bed before I left the house that morning. Sometimes I’d find myself carrying on a conversation in my head, me trying to defend my laziness while making one excuse after another. Or, sometimes I found myself thinking, What if she comes home early and catches me red handed with an unmade bed?   

Isn’t it amazing? All those years of butterflies, all those years of nightmares, all those years of hoping she wasn’t home when I got home, so I could go ahead and make the bed, all that suffering, suddenly gone. Wow, I wish we’d had that conversation decades ago. At least the air has been cleared now. 

I think I’ll get on line and find somewhere for her to go, just to see how good it feels to have her gone with me knowing it’s ok to be a bum for a few days. 

Till next time,

Grump