Random Moments #4

Have you ever been in a situation where you hear something and it is so fantastic that you think you are being strung along by a whopping big liar or it is all absolutely true, no middle grown? That is what I came smack up against on Saturday, my own "A Beautiful Mind" encounter.

My friend Linda whom I had not seen for a while called and invited me to drive up to Lodi with her. It was a long drive and we had a lot of catching up to do. It was the perfect opportunity. Several hours later we are heading home and making a sidetrip through Modesto trying to connect with a woman Linda needed to drop off some supplies for for a special event. Many phone calls with no answer later, we pull up to her front door and proceed to wait. But we immediately become baffled. The windows are wide open, the sliding door to the backyard is open, there is music playing LOUDLY, and food is laid out for a party. Clearly, someone is expecting company. 5:55 p.m. the lady of the house drives up. She had gone out to pick up a few things. And the story went from there. In no particular order, we heard about:

1. Her wheelchair bound husband committing fraud and actually being able to walk just fine;

2. 32 years of marriage down the drain and now a clear understanding of demons at work in her life;

3. Her husband a Scott Peterson revisited;

4. In August he had committed her to an insane asylum (you can't do that in California without a court order - or so the law says);

5. Her husband's Satanism contaminating the house and she is replacing everything - furniture, the car, major appliances, kitchen stuff, etc;

6. Her adult sons brainwashed by him and they are just going along with her, indulging her housecleaning;

7. She's on disability (and buying??? all this stuff);

8. Her employer is trying to fire her;

9. No one showing up for the party but that's ok. She didn't make phone calls anyway so if anyone shows up, it's God at work;

10. We showed up

and more. It was all really quite extraordinary. And mind you, I had never seen this woman in my life and Linda had met her only a couple of times. I felt like I was a visitor to her private planet.

As we drove away, Linda asked me for my take on what we had just heard. Basically, it was as I said above - either the real thing or A Beautiful Life moment. I felt sorry for the woman and it was a valid feeling either way. If it's true than her life has been turned upsidedown and law be damned. If it's all a fantasy, I am sorry for her severe disconnect with reality. The scary thing is that if it is all a fantasy, she is functioning in the real world very successfully as she lives in her own private world.