The
Musings of Reverend Catherine Harrington
March
2010 
My life of late has reminded me of the lyrics from the Mary Chapin Carpenter song “The Bug.” Sometimes you’re the windshield, and sometimes you’re the bug. First, I had a fire in my den which was totally careless stupidity and if it weren’t for my smoke detector, (PLEASE don’t forget to change the batteries in yours), I might have lost everything. Then, while they were ripping out my carpet my basement flooded (again) and I called my good friend, Barney. Barney and I got to be practically best friends during those three years of meeting regularly to clean out roots from my plumbing. Finally, he said, “We have to stop meeting like this, it’s time to have your yard dug up and replace those old pipes.” So, I did it and it cost major $. They dug up my yard, created a massive sink hole, and killed the big beautiful tree whose roots were causing the problems, or so we thought. The tree is gone (sadly) and the problem NOT solved! The outside cleanout that I had installed is buried under a mountain of snow in the backyard, so he had to drag that machine to the basement anyway. My cats were so terrorized that they disappeared for hours! There’s a lot more (such as my hair’s fluorescent roots after my latest visit to my hairdresser. Sigh, just before I leave for Geneva), but it would just be pathetic whining so I’ll spare you. Sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug. I Googled the lyrics to that song, and it cheered me up immediately. Carpenter is a wise woman. Life is a “strange old game” and you do “learn it slow.” C’est la vie.
THE BUG
The good news is that you get to be the “windshield” once in a while, too!
Well it's a strange old game you learn it slow
One step forward and it's back you go
You're standing on the throttle
You're standing on the brake
In the groove 'til you make a mistake
Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're just a fool in love
Sometimes you're the Louisville Slugger
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together
Sometimes you're gonna lose it all
You gotta know happy - you gotta know glad
Because you're gonna know lonely
And you're gonna know sad
When you're rippin' and you're ridin'
And you're coming on strong
You start slippin' and slidin'
And it all goes wrong because
(Chorus repeats)
One day you got the glory and then you got none
One day you're a diamond and then you're a stone
Everything can change in the blink of an eye
So let the good times roll before we say goodbye
because
Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
In faith and love, Cathy
Travel: February 22- March 7
I'm traveling to Geneva for the World Congress Against the Death Penalty and then on to London to participate with Amicus in a mock trial that places the U.S. Death Penalty on trial for fraud. I will be a witness for the prosecution.
