Observations April 10th 2006

The other night my business phone rang and the caller ID suggested it was a Spammer. I answered and the young woman, without disclosing her name, asked for my daughter, Bonnie.

“Who is this?”, I asked, not recognizing the voice and wondering why the call had come in on my business phone.

“I’m a good friend of Bonnie’s; are you her husband?” A couple of thoughts came to mind as I started laughing into the mouthpiece. Bonnie is out of town on business, she isn’t married and if this person were, as she claimed to be, “a good friend”; then why didn’t she call Bonnie on her cell phone, and certainly she would have known that I couldn’t have been her husband. I didn’t explain any of this to the caller; laughing uncontrollably as I clicked off.

Bonnie’s birthday is coming up soon and for the right fellow, an engagement ring would definitely be on the list of welcome gifts; serious offers only, return missionaries move to the head of the line. One of my jobs as Bonnie’s dad is to embarrass her in public.

I was watching the George Burns’ movie, Going In Style, about three old guys who've grown tired of simply sitting on a park bench each day wasting away until the grave takes them. They come up with the idea to rob a bank and the movie takes off from there. Over the years I’ve enjoyed the wisdom and humor he supplied.

Last week I enjoyed the 176th General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The President of the Church, Gordon B. Hinckley addressed us on Sunday morning and shared some memories of his service in the Lord’s work. In his mid 90’s he has an interesting mix of wisdom and humor for a man in his position. It struck me that George Burns and Gordon B. Hinckley had similar features; not that anyone would confuse them for twins, just a thought that made the edges of my mouth form a smile. All they would have to do is change the frames on their eye glasses to pull it off; well, get rid of the cigar too. Maybe when we get to be old, approaching that time when we meet face to face with God, the edges wear down a little and we all start to look the same.