Purple Haze

[H2O Man]

26. A couple years ago,

I ran into my old junior high school gym teacher. He is extremely pro-fracking, believing it to be a miracle cure for all of the local community's economic ills. I greeted him politely and respectfully; he could not resist tossing some insults in my direction.

I suggested that we get together, and discuss fracking over a cup of coffee. He became enraged -- no exaggeration -- and n a very loud voice stated, "No! You'll never change my mind. I won't talk to you about it!"

I said that I had no interest in changing his mind. I said it was an issue that was dividing people in our local communities, and was causing a lot of hard feelings. Thus, I thought it was worth our while to sit down and just talk to one another. Neither of us was going to change their mind, but we could at least try to understand the other's viewpoint.

The expression on his face was, I think, exactly as it would be if he were talking to Satan himself. He said, "Fuck you," and turned and walked away.

I was tempted to say that now I knew why he was a junior high gym teacher, rather than a high school math or social studies teacher. But I think we both knew.