Three Cowboys Walk Into a Bar…
Shawn is tipsy, John is not. I had seen them both earlier in the evening at the Red Dog Saloon and Bowling Alley on ‘Mane Street’ when I was eating my brick oven pizza made by cowboy Chris. Now we are together again at Pappy & Harriet’s just down the street in Pioneertown.
Pappy & Harriet’s is a Western club venue where 200+ people a night like to come for live music and special events. Artists like Paul McCartney and Robert Plant have made surprise appearances on stage over the years. Tonight’s act was just a DJ and his playlist, no live music, and it was sold out! Unable to get a ticket for a table near the stage, I settle for a free bar seat in front of a TV screen streaming the DJ at his turntable.
I’m peaking up at the screen, and scrolling on my phone, minding my own business. A voice from someone standing behind me says: “Hey, I met you at the bowling alley… You said you’re from San Diego. I’m from Rancho Penasquitos (nearby).
He introduces himself as John who’s out with his best friend Shawn. Two young locals who lived nearby. After some small talk, John tells me owns a old house built by his grandfather on 15 acres in the desert. Inherited from his grandparents who acquired the land for “homesteading” in the early 1960s for a $50 filing fee! “I love it here,” he says. “I’ll never go back to San Diego.
“How old are you,” I ask. Twenty-eight. His friend Shawn is 25. “I’m 73,” I tell them. “Old enough to be your grandfather.”
“You seem like a solid, stable guy,” John tells me. “What advice would you have for us?”
Shawn ordered another drink and tried to follow the conversation.
I thought to myself, what do these guys need from me?
“How’s your 401k retirement plan?” I ask. Neither on had one. “My advice is to start a ROTH and max it out each year.” Neither one put much stock in the System. Gold and silver maybe…and guns.
Shawn was telling me that everyone’s got to watch out for themselves…
“What else you got?” John asks…
I pause and click into my pastor mode.
“Listen guys, I’m going to have to leave in about 15 minutes. Here’s my best counsel: LOVE your neighbor… as you LOVE yourself. As the Good Book says!”
“Who’s your neighbor,” John asks, almost as if he’s testing me. “Your neighbor lives next door, and is also the person who is right in your path…”
John is digging what I’m sayin… Shawn doesn’t agree. “You gotta look after number 1. If you don’t look after yourself, no one else will. I mean, I would take a bullet for my best friend John, but you can’t rely on others… “
I assume he spoke from experience.
“You know, Shawn, when you fly on a plane, the flight attendant says that in the event of an emergency, an oxygen mask will drop down from the ceiling. First put your own mask on before you help others. The point is Not to put your own mask on to save only your own life. We’re expected to put our own mask on first so that we are Able to Help others who may have trouble putting on theirs.”
John totally agrees with me. Shawn is still not convinced that helping others is the right thing to do.
“You need to go to church,” I tell Shawn. “Go with John!”
John admits that he was raised a Christian and used to go to church. “Any good churches round here,” I ask? “Not on Sundays, but there’s a Bible Study on Wednesday nights that seems pretty good. John looks at Shawn. “Come with me.”
Shawn says he was not a Christian, wasn’t raised to believe in God; finds it very hard to believe, and is not that interested. Then, he says, “I would love to believe in God, but I wouldn’t want to give up drinkin…”
I say, “Don’t worry about giving up drinkin right now. Just take one small step in the right direction. Things will take care of themselves. Go with John to church this week. Open up your heart. See what happens. …”
John seems pleased. Shawn, skeptical. “Three minutes,” John reminds me of how much advice time I said we had left.
I rise to leave. I lay my hands on Shawn’s shoulders, look him in the eyes, and pronounce a priestly blessing: “The Lord bless you and keep you, Shawn. The Lord make His face shine upon you, Shawn. And be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace."—Amen?”
I have no confidence that Shawn will remember this shalom blessing in the morning. But John reaches out and gives me a great big bear hug, and whispers in my ear: “Thank you, I got this.”
At 11pm, I return to my van for the night, stealth-camping at Pioneertown, USA.
