by punk monkey

as winter closes in, i am glad i have my winter coat, my fur - and not just any fur, punk monkey fur; thick, rich, long, dense fur that when wet - smells like two skunks fighting over a can of craft mac and cheese from the garbage of that fat guy who lives down the road, after he spend three hours doing yard work in the heat of the summer.  it's nice to know i am protected from the weather.  in the summer time, my coat gets thin, sparse and short.  while it does not smell as bad i have other problems - it just won't hold a curl.  no matter what i do, i just can't get it to do what i want, and look good.  i was once talked into getting a perm, not a great move on my part.  I looked like a poodle with opposable thumbs.  cows are horrible stylists; great dancers, but horrible stylists.  if ever you are approached by a cow named bessie and she wants to give you a perm, stay away from her.  you know what i mean?  yeah, well, after that i had very few friends.  everyone always thought  i was a dog.  they'd be all, "come here poochy poochy! i got a scooby snack for ya!"  i knew they had no idea that i was actually who i was and not a poodle, (even though i do find scooby snacks quite enjoyable) i would still get mad.  It goes with out saying,  i was a very lonely punk monkey through those 2 months before the perm grew-out and i could get a cut.  i have just  started talking to everyone again.  i think that they got sort of mad when i left threatening messages on their answering machine.  also, i sent some of them "baskets" which i'm not sure that they enjoyed either.  well, needless to say, we were on shaky terms for a while and now we are better, thank goodness.  but through it all, one friend stayed with me; my good friend "bob."

bob was there through it all; through the perm and that silly incident with bessie to the time i swallowed that small cat during a block party in chicago.  bob never failed me, and always supported me.  bob soon became my best friend, but it did not start out that way.  i met bob back in the mid-80's.  i was just coming off the disco crazy, late - i am a punk monkey and timing is not a good punk monkey quality.  bob was sitting at a bus stop when i walked up in my "white poly-suit with wide collars" when others started picking on me.  bob stood-up for me, and he had no idea who i was, or what i was about.  my first reaction was that bob wanted something.  no one helps someone else for no reason at all, he wanted something from me and i was not going to give it to him, no matter what.  over time i soon found out that bob was nice to everyone.  he never had a bad word to say about anyone, for any reason.  when people would push me to the point of wanting to rip arms off - i am a powerful primate - bob would smile and talk with them.  it never failed, bob's way of dealing with people was powerful and it worked.  he was always happy and seemed to enjoy life - even though he had noting to be happy about.  bob was not exactly what one would consider to be "leading actor" material.

bob was short, had a large hunch-back and major medical problems that keep him in the hospital 80% of the time.  when i would go to visit bob, he was never in his room.  he would be visiting kids, older people and anyone who would let him in for a visit.  bob would spend more time with others, then with himself.  what i found amazing was, regardless of his looks, people in pain knew he cared and they welcomed him in with all their heart.  people who would not give bob the time of day in the "real world" embraced him and truly loved him.  bob was in his glory when he helping people.  as i got to know bob i noticed his list of friends was great.  if bob needed help, people came to his aid without asking anything in return.  bob was the same way.  i remember once as we were watching a movie at bob's house a call came - bob dropped everything and ran out the door.  i found out later that a young girl, she was seven, had cancer and fell gravely ill and wanted bob to be there with her.  her mother called and bob dropped everything to be at her side.  when she died, bob spent hours with her parents helping them through their pain.  bob would come home drained, physically and emotionally.  doctors told him he needed to take it easy and slow down or he would suffer even worse health problems.  bob did not care, he just wanted to help.

one day, while bob was in the hospital because of his own health problems, i asked him why it was so important for him to do all he does.  he smiled and said, "because jesus died for me, the least i can do is live for others."