An Explanation

The previous entry was written a long time ago, and in fact predates the Bubba's Tale. Having thought about it some, I believe the title is misleading and inaccurate. There are no between-the-lines meanings of which I am conscious; the writing is vague and allegorical, but not by intention.

As in Bubba's Tale, this story deals with the author's struggles and an attempt to find a way out of a dark place - it is perhaps less open than Bubba's Tale as the author had not yet come to terms with what he had done or what he would do. The meeting with the "Eldest One" was the confused result of "trying to get to heaven" - and the since the attempt failed - the failure was thought to be due to being rejected even by "God" and being sent back... sent back to a place thought to be Hell.

In order to find a meaning and purpose in life, the author did volunteer work, working with a number of people much, much less fortunate than himself. This work was always exhausting, at times perplexing, and occasionally he thought it to be...a form of penitence or the just desserts of being in Hell - rather than being rewarding. Some of those other people are lumped together in the "Other" that makes it out of the storm. Some of the people the author worked with got off drugs, found jobs, and happier places. One of them is even one the Vice Presidents of a very large US corporation, married and now a happy parent of two fine children now entering college. Obviously, not all of the others made their way to a better place but many did. The author has never spoken to any of these people again.

In any event, in each case, the role the author had to play in their lives was minor - but after some years of this volunteer work, he could no longer take "being left behind" and quit.

The previous entry journals this time in his life - and reflects a number of jumbled thoughts badly expressed. To the author, the sense of always being alone when trying to determine right and wrong is one of those jumbled thoughts. The meaning and purpose of life continues to elude the author even to this day. He no longer believes he is living in Hell - and no longer believes helping others to be a form of penitence but rather has found it has it's own intangible rewards.

He doesn't think there is any more to this - and this will be the last of the dark entries.

-The author