That One Thing

There’s always one buzz kill in the bar; at least one. Brings up something stupid – usually thought provocative and intelligent, but in the wrong context – namely, a bar. Just when you think you might get through one night … damn, some (other) idiot opens his mouth.

Today, it’s “the meaning of life.”

Some guy actually said he viewed his mission on the planet as “to propagate the species.” Yeah, like the gene pool needs further enhancement from a pudgy, balding, barfly.

The conversation got me reminiscing though. I remember seeing City Slickers, with Billy Crystal and Jack Palance. Billy plays a role where he enters a bit of a mid-life crisis, wondering what he’s doing and where he’s going, trying to figure out what he wants. The old-school Cowboy, Curly (played by Jack) seems to have it all figured out. In one scene, Billy asks Jack what the secret is. Jack responds by holding up a single gloved finger. Billy says, “Your finger? The secret is your finger?” Curly, is his brusque growl responds, “No. It’s that one thing that’s most important to your life; that makes it worthwhile; that makes life worth living.”

Give me a break, I’m paraphrasing – it was a long time ago, okay?

So, for Curly, the “thing” was being outdoors, living the simple life, driving cattle – it’s what he lived for.

I saw that movie with my first wife, good ol’ what’s her name. On the way out to the car, she asks, “What’s your one thing?”

To which, I immediately reply, “The Indy 500.”

Yeah.

Never really heard much from what’s her name after that night.