The Narrative Image

In August, the Portland area Lutheran church softball season culminates in a two day tournament at Meldrum Bar Park. Church softball can be distinguished from other forms of softball by the ritual group prayer that opposing team members participate in together before they try to beat the hell out of each other. The typical prayer format: General thanksgiving for nice weather Vague promise to enjoy fellowship Petition for injury free play As with most prayer, the recognition of answers requires active and imaginative interpretation. There’s really nothing like sliding in shorts (except maybe falling off a motorcycle) to set up the circumstances that will showcase the miracle of self-repairing skin. Softball, with its rules and regulations, is rich with metaphors and analogies that can be applied to life in this universe. In the following dialogue from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, commander Sisko explains our linear existence with a baseball metaphor. JAKE ALIEN "Baseball...

Traffic on I-205 Coast Stop Coast – roll – roll STOP FAST Sit Wait… (crap!) Bumper Cars at Oaks Park Why don’t they make real cars more like bumper cars? The daily commute would become the highlight of the day and auto insurance companies would quickly go out of business. I tell the Monkey-cam, “It’s a universal intuition. There must be something more to life than driving to and from work.” Old tree at Laurelhurst Park “That’s why on weekends, we go hiking to discover the tell-tale brushstrokes of some transcendent artist.” I added. Trees at Laurelhurst Park Monkey-cam agreed that there were many times when the world seems like a beautiful masterpiece. Bench at East end of duck pond - Laurelhurst Park “Still,” he pantomimed, “isn’t it enough that we’re alive and we can eat bananas and meet girls?” “Well,” I replied, “the culture I was born into thinks it’s important how you do those things. For instance, we’re supposed to meet girls, not so much for fun, but (within the confines ...

A Unible (about half as good as a parable - or worse) by scott The terrible accident put an end to the dangerous trapeze act. (dramatic pause) …some time later, another acrobat appeared at the circus employment office to fill the vacancy created by the accident. At first, the resident acrobat could not be coaxed back onto the trapeze. But acrobats are not well suited to sweep up peanut shells…. He could not stay away for long. In the beginning their timing was off. But It got better. …and soon the accident was almost forgotten. The trapeze act opened again. The bleachers were filled to capacity... ...and then some. It was soon time to try the death-defying 42 somersault sky-leap with the special over-torque effect. “…Never before attempted!” said the circus master, “…successfully.” he added. Suddenly the resident acrobat remembered the accident. And when it came time to leap…he didn’t let go. The two acrobats looked silly just hanging there. The crowd said, “Boooo!” …and the act c...