For John And Renni As They Were In 2018

Written By: Ralph Hawk

Two outstanding people were married recently. And it’s been a privilege for me to have known them. John has a keen wit, and an exceptional way with words, and Renni, who is a superb problem solver, has the most phenomenal ability to use what’s termed “common sense”.
And when I learned of their marriage plans, I asked them if I might ask their joint opinion of two subjects: one, would marriage change them as individuals, and two, has America’s decades of negligent enforcement of its immigration laws led to the crisis it now finds itself in regarding that topic? And I don’t recall their answers verbatim. And I didn’t tape them. But the next two paragraphs provide a synthesis of what they said, and, after those two paragraphs, the remainder of this piece will be my own, basically off-the-cuff remarks.
I’m building a wall between past indiscretions and future common courtesies. And I believe that people always do what they determine to be either right, necessary, self-serving, fun, or easy – and often more than one of those simultaneously. But my conviction is clear. I say “Be careful, and protect yourself and others now in the present. Then, in years to come, hopefully you’ll not need to rectify (and sometimes with great peril) situations which shouldn’t have been allowed to develop.”
“And yes, the time has now come for America to confront the immigration problems it permitted to occur inside itself as a result of poor, or no enforcement of immigration laws over the span of many years. And some very tough decisions will now need to be made. And a border wall will need to be built along America’s southern border.”
You know, life’s been good to Ralph Hawk. And fate, or deities, or masters, or whatever one may wish to denote them as, have granted me leadership in a city of otherworldly interventions, where there now exists a strong class of both blue and white collar workers, as well as an enclave of artistically minded individuals who live on part of the northern bank of our city’s river.
And one day a muse came to Mr. Hawk and said “You’re on your way, but you have a long way to go. Still, you have a couple of years left before the twenty first century’s decade of roaring begins.”
“Thus, continue in your quest. You lived the years when your ascendance into literature would have been impossible. And you didn’t live in New York. But the times always change, and maybe sometimes times take us back to where others superior to us in ability, left their marks amidst many empty liquor bottles, smoked cigarettes, arguments amongst friends and spouses, attractions that couldn’t be satisfied, attractions which were satisfied, but sometimes to the detriment of those involved as well as others who loved them, and friends and spouses of authors whose jealousy led them down paths of unhappiness, and sometimes insanity.”
And I answered the muse thus: “But none of us were actually there then, thus, none of us know whose love was really true and whose wasn’t. And, like everyone else who reads bits of history, we can only assume that what we’re reading is true. And, although the 1920’s may have been a time of wildness, at least it appears the populaces of the world heard basically truthful news then. And while we don’t know now what type of ‘ness’ will dominate the 2020’s, it’s beginning to appear as though fake news will be thriving then.”
Anyway, I should have told you by now that this piece is actually meant to be a congratulatory note to my friends Renni Maes and F. John Surells. But, as you’ve noticed by now, it doesn’t concern itself solely with them. And, after a long time spent together as singles, John and Renni were married recently. And since, in jest, the artists and I who live here in the city like to refer to John as a second (albeit far less talented) famous author who now uses an F abbreviation as that other one once did, I guess Renni will now have no choice but to function as, well, you know, (Z). Oh, but she’ll be such a better wife. I just know that. That’s the way she is!
But Z was jealous of F, I think. So, at a too late age she tried to become a dancer. And she and F had a child together, and became famous. But his and Z’s best years, I believe, were those they spent in Paris amongst so many others as talented as they. And besides that, Gertrude liked them.
Nonetheless, back here in the present I’m praying that God will grant comfort and protection to a nation which now too lately has finally found itself in need of addressing its problem of non-citizens living within its borders. And we can only hope that from now on a concerted effort will be made to keep all of America’s immigrants only legal immigrants, because as we’ve seen in recent times, eventually difficult decisions will need to be made about people who’ve either come to or been brought to this nation in violation of the laws of this nation. But if the fate of America’s non-residents is to be that some or many of those should stay here as legal citizens, then let’s pray that they’ll be citizens who’ll love America, obey its laws, and try to live successfully within it.
But someone had better begin to do some very serious planning in regard to the future population of The United States. And, the days of unchecked illegal immigration into this nation must end now. Of course a border wall needs to be built! And for those who continue to so smugly say “Everything will work out in the end,” we say “Yes, you’re right, there will be some sort of result, but it may well be a catastrophic one. And certainly it might be that many years will pass before such a scenario would occur, but here are two very serious questions which perhaps the youngest Americans of today, or at least their children may have to face: One, “What will America be like when the race which has always been the majority race is that no longer?” and Two, “What effect upon the population of the United States would a possible overthrow of Roe VS. Wade have?”
In the above paragraph I outlined some of the fears I live with daily. But yet, I can’t help but observe all possible developments from the perspective of someone who’s, because of his true birthright in a different reality of the earth, in many ways divorced from much of what occurs daily in not only America, but across all of what’s known as the Earth One reality.
And, I believe that my artistic friends and I will always live safely near the river in a city which can’t be touched by invaders, outlanders, haters of artistic advancement, or malcontents trying to promote discord between the sexes. And my people and I will continue to live here in accordance with rightful, just, and protection affording decrees of government, no matter how many spiteful words are spoken at awards ceremonies, and no matter if some people think that dressing in a certain color at those ceremonies really means anything to people such as us, and also no matter how many sexual abusers are now finally being brought to justice long after they should have been.
Oh, but our prayers will always journey toward those lords who guide and govern us from their jurisdictions in other realms and other realities! And the greatest of those lords is He who shows exceptional care and mercy for us. He’s our three person God. And for us (though others may have another) it’s He who ultimately answers our prayers, no matter to whom those prayers may have initially been addressed.
And that God has now seen fit to join two of my greatest friends, F.John Surells and Renni Maes, together in marriage, And it’s my hope that they’ll be able to grow old together in a nation that features as its greatest citizens such people as work and toil for an honest living, as they simultaneously obey all rightful governmental decrees, and honor all attempts which constructively seek to advance the freedom and well-being of the citizens of the United States and all other nations.
But I don’t really know how I feel about people who take America’s middle working classes to task from behind microphones at awards ceremonies, or on talk radio shows, or on late night television programs. Yet, it is quite clear to me that America’s common people will be the only losers in all the debate about illegal immigration. And, they’ll also be the only losers as a result of the ridiculous probes into America’s last presidential election which, if they must be continued, should be focused on possible wrongdoing by not only the winning side in that election, but by the losing side as well. Still, if enough attitudes toward reporting sexual abuse are changed as a result of the recent disclosures concerning that subject, then perhaps some good will come from both the fake and real news reports of the last few years before the onset of the new roaring twenties.