City College Night Classes:
English 101, Room 237
Essay by Albert Anthony "Knuckles" Murillo
Title: "A Bozo I Encountered On the Street"
I remember like it was only yesterday. Of course, this
particular event was only yesterday. But that's completely
beside the point.
Anyway, this fellow comes up to me, and he's selling books
about how God ain't real. You know, the pseudo-science type
books that say that a university degree magically bestows
"all-knowledge-and-wisdom" on some guy (or gal, as the case
may be), so that now they know less about life than when they
were in high school.
An' this bozo, he says to me, "Hey you! You wanna buy
some quick smarts?"
"Smarts, huh?" I snap back. (Pretty smooth answer, or what?)
"Yeah, smarts." he says. "I got a truck load of these
intellectual-type books at less than half the price. And I'll
make you a special deal, since you're going to school here in the
'hood an' all."
I'm lookin' at this guy, and I don't know him from Adam. So I
asked him, "Yeah? What 'hood would that be? I never seen you
before in my life."
He looks a little flustered at that. But he's pretty good, and
recovers fast. An' he says to me, "Oh, well, I been gone a
long time, see? Um, I used to live over on the next block, in
the big brown house."
I knew I had him, then. See, there's only about a million
brown houses on just about every street in the `hood. But over
on the next block (the one he's pointin' at) they ain't got no
houses. It's been doctors' and lawyers' offices for the last
thirty years or so. But I decide to play it cool. So I says,
"Oh, yeah. I think know the house you mean. Let's have a look
at those books."
So he takes me over to the trunk of his car, and opens it up.
Sure enough, there's lots of books in there. All kinds of
expensive-looking hardcovers with nice graphics, and titles,
like "The Self-Made Universe" and "Who Is Jesus, Anyway?" and
"If You Got Cable TV, Who Needs God?" and even "Why I Believe
in Space Aliens Instead of Jesus".
"Wow," I says. "That's a pretty impressive collection you got
there. I see you even got a bunch of National Geographic
Magazines. You sellin' them, too?"
"Sure!" He says. "Now that their sales are so far down, I'm
selling subscriptions -- right outta my trunk. You want one?"
"Not today. But tell me, how did you get all these books? Did
they fall off a truck or something?"
"No, no. They're all legit, I swear." He says, holding up both
hands. "The brokers decided to release them to us sidewalk
professionals, 'cause the stores ain't doin' so good in their
over-the-counter sales, no more. Somethin' about too many
people are starting to think for themselves, or somethin'. I
don't know."
He reaches down into the trunk and grabs a handful of books
and shoves them at me, sayin' "Look, because it's late in the
day, I'll sell you all six of these books for five bucks. What
d'ya say?"
I back away, smilin' and say, "No thanks, friend. I'm one of
those guys you were talking about. You know, the ones who are
startin' to do some real thinking on their own. I've had it
with simply swallowing all the crap they dish out in the media
these days. Too much stupidity for even the likes of me. I
mean, it's getting' to where TV "entertainment" is always saying
that anything goes, so long as it isn't Jesus Christ or the
Bible. I've had enough of that anti-Christian crap thrown at
me."
I can see the disappointment on the guy's face, as I turn and
walk away. I gotta admit, though, it felt pretty good to finally
express my disgust, even to a street peddler.
The garbage being shoveled at people these days on TV, in the
movies, and in a lot of so-called "intellectual reading" is
just too much, too deep for hip boots, and too foul-smelling
for even the rats to take. All those talking heads tryin' to
tell everybody how to think, how to vote, and what to believe.
Funny thing is, just last year, I would've bought all the junk
that guy was sellin' and then asked him for more. But I found
a much better Book and a better Teacher. Jesus really helped me
get things together again in my life. I even started classes here at the City College. Decided to do something with
my life besides gripin' or hittin' people for money.
Maybe I'll become a Hollywood producer or somethin' and give
people a chance to hear the other side of the story for a
change. Who knows? We live in a wonderful country where
anything can happen.
One thing I know for sure. Jesus is helping me every day. I
ain't never goin' to go back into the old darkness no more.
No, not ever.
©2005 Jim Sutton
all rights reserved
