THE LONG EMBRACE

It’s Thanksgiving. I am having dinner with good friends. They happen to be half brothers; we are seated around the table. To the left of Johnny Kool De'Ego is Lewdecrous D. Id. (Lewd for short). He is the short one standing on the chair picking his nose. To the right of Johnny is His Majesty Emperor Gold D. Superego, the one with the diamond bejeweled crown dressed like King Henry The Eight.

“I could eat a horse or even a pair of sneakers I am so hungry!” Lewd complained loudly.

“Do I have to be in the same room with THAT thing?” sneered D. Superego, turning up his nose.

“I think he’s kinda cute, don’t you think, Charley?” Kool asked me as he patted D. Id on the head. I nodded and smiled sheepishly.

“You think he is funny? Look at him! Will you please wipe the mucus sliming down your nose!? Don’t you feel it dribbling into your mouth and falling off your chin onto my Fine China!? You PIG!! How disgusting!!” D. Superego ranted.

“Hey, Gold D, can we start eating already? Lewd is right we are all hungry”, Johnny pleaded.

“I MUST say grace. The victuals MUST be blessed. I will not touch one unconsecrated morsel ‘til I give thanks and praise to my Almighty God, and neither will you!” thundered His Majesty.

“Put a sock in it, you pompous blowhard”, replied D. Id, standing on the table, scratching himself.

“Lewd, come on now, chill. We have a guest. Don’t let him leave with the wrong impression. We should give thanks. There are a lot of people worse off than us. Let Gold D say grace so we can enjoy this delicious seven course Thanksgiving meal”.

(As D. Id climbed down off the chair he let loose a loud fart)

“Oh my God!! That’s it! I am through with him!!” D. Superego screamed, having a fit.

“What? Like you never. . .”

“Well I never! How dare you, you little impudent ape!” protested His majesty, seemingly mortified at the suggestion that he also passes flatus.

“Hey! Back off! I’m just keeping it real! Yeah, Real” said D. Id, Standing tall, giving D. Superego the middle finger.

(De'Ego is standing between them now, preventing them from coming to blows)

“Guys! Guys! Can’t you guys behave for even a minute? Both of you just cool it” reasoned De’Ego.

“I demand an apology now! Right right now! You hear me, Johnny; I will not stand for his insolence. Tell him to apologize, or else I am leaving!” demanded The Emperor, standing stiffly.

“I ain’t Apologizing for shit! I don’t need you! Go ahead, make my day. Leave, damn it!” retorted D. Id

(Kool looked at me. I tried not to make eye contact with any of them).

“How about those Yankees!” I said, trying to change the subject.

“OK. Lewd, my little brother, please. . . sit. Gold D, you really need to calm down some. Remember your heart. We almost lost you because of that heart attack last month. And you, Lewd, you were worried sick about him. You spent a week by his bedside. You spoon fed him chicken soup when we brought him home. You even read him his favorite poems. You know you love and need each other. Come on, at least shake hands”

(The two, D. Id and D. Superego, shook hands, grudgingly)

“Come on! Yous two can do better than that! Hug each other! You know you want to!” cheered on De'Ego as he pushed them in each other’s embrace.

I sat transfixed in amazement. Look at them. Each of them are so different yet they seem to need each other.

I sat there smiling as the three half brothers D. Id, De'Ego and D. Superego, hugged each other in a long warm embrace.


LESSONS LEARNED

Let us examine the lessons we can learn from this not-so-tall-tale.

On the one hand we are often times earthy, coarse, unrefined, etc. We have to eat, but we don’t have to eat like pigs. We have to use the bathroom but we don’t have to piss on fire hydrants. We necessarily need to indulge our carnal desires (but. . . get a room!).

On the other hand we have a wondrous spirit about us. We are prideful. We have high standards and values. We strive to maintain a sense of morality. We have to maintain standards of decency, after all, we are civilized human beings. But we don’t have to be holier-than-though. We have to strive for high spiritual ideals but we don’t have to be super self-righteous. We should do the right thing. It is proper to be an example of what is good and kind but we should not be unforgiving of those "of a lesser God".

THE NEED TO EAT

ID Sense:  "I need to eat otherwise I'll die! As a matter of desire, I'll stuff myself like a hog every chance I get!!


Superego Sense:  "If I have to eat like the ID, I'll dine less than the bare minimum or not at all!  I'll rather die!!"

Ego (Common Sense):  "Guys! Be realistic. We must eat to live! We can manage without stuffing, over-stuffing ourselves and without eating unhealthily (like a hog) or worse, not eating at all!!"



We should strive to find balance in our lives. We need both body and spirit. Above all else, we have to have compassion for ourselves and embrace everything that is in each of us.