If I only had $20 and a beer…

Anna Barnes

Thursday, 8:36 PM (9/27/06)

So….

I’m on my way to Trinitas to get my computer and go to the Pope’s so they can show me how to insert some pictures in a blog about a truck I saw a few weeks ago.

There’s a green light on the corner of 29 and Brent

I’m going about 40 mph.  1/2 a block past the light, I hit a woman.

“oh my gosh!!!”  I immediately dial 911.   My voice shaking, my hand is shaking as I’m talking to the 911 dispatcher.

As I pull around the parking lot, I see three figures–2 standing, one on the ground

They are yelling.

I sit in my car 100 feet away from them (How do I know they won’t pull a knife?)

I am talking to the Highway Patrol on the phone giving them my location

daughter of fallen recognizes my car, “that’s the car that hit you!!!”

she marches toward me (she’s prolly 19)

I get out of the car.

“Is she okay?’

“naw, her foot’s hurt!”

I tell the 911 dispatcher, “we need an ambulance”

I walk up to the fallen

she says, “I’ll strike a deal with you. You give me 20 dollars and a beer and we’ll call it even! I’m homeless. I need twenty dollars.”

I say: “M’am, your foot is hurt, you need help. I don’t have cash. You need help.”

“You don’t have any cash!?”

“Don’t worry the ambulance is coming.”

“I don’t want any EMS. You’re telling me, you drive that car and don’t got any cash? Well you better have good insurance cause I’m hurt. I’m suing your ass. My elbow is messed up.  My wrist is broke.  I cain’t even walk, my foot is hurt.  Look at my knee.”

She lies back down.

The fire truck pulls up first.

Half the firemen come to me the other half go to her.

She tells them that she was using the cross-walk, and she was flung 1/2 a block away.

So….

Then the EMS comes. they put a neck brace on her, put her on the gurney.

Somewhere along the line, the third man disappears.

The ambulance leaves.

Another hobo enters the scene from across the street.

Apparently, he is an Elvis impersonator.

He begins serenading us.

You know, the firemen are having a crack-up time.

I’m still freaking out cause I just hit somebody.

Before the police get there, the ambulance (with the victim) comes back. She walks out of the ambulance. She decides she doesn’t need to go to hospital.

So the FL Highway Patrol pulls up and talks to her.

Elvis is still singing and telling the firemen it wasn’t my fault. The FL Highway Patrol lady comes up to me. She comforts me by letting me know that FL is a no-fault state, and if it were anyone’s fault, it would be the pedestrians.  She regrets that she cannot write a ticket for an intoxicated pedestrian.   She tells me I am free to go.

Elvis buts in.

Ooook lahoma! (and why my children will never be involved in secular theater)

This is the middle weekend that the Pensacola Little Theater will be performing Oklahoma! for our community.  If you live in Pensacola, go see it!  It is so much fun!  This is my first experience being involved in Pensacola’s community theater. 

I majored in theater at a very conservative Christian college.  The whole time I was there, all of the faculty adamantly opposed working in community theater.  I believe that there is a place for Christians in community theater.  (I almost didn’t make it through the program because of that belief.)  I will quickly mention a couple reasons I believe I should be involved in community theater, so I can move on to some observations from being in Oklahoma!. 

1.  Because Christ describes Christians as salt and light, we must be around meat and darkness (non-believers, if you will).  I work with Christians during my day job, so I must find some avenues to meet non-believers.  …I have only so many neighbors (literal neighbors:  those who live near my house).

2.  Christians influence secular theater by supporting and being a part of great plays directed appropriately and by withdrawing their support from bawdy, inappropriate plays.  This means of influence obviously requires that the Christian have mad skills in his craft.  For the Christian will only be missed if there is some role that he could perform amazingly, but doesn’t because of his moral obligation to God and his community. 

Having said all that, I have had a wonderful time singing and dancing.  I have made sweet friendships over just 8 weeks.  And I have resolved that my children will never be involved in community theater.

I do not want my children growing up with the mentality that it is out of the norm for a man to be a heterosexual.  I do not want my boys to have effeminate men as main role models.  I do not want my child filled with vanity and pride that I see in most theatrical children. 

I will urge my children to be involved in school theater, and to attend certain secular theatrical productions.   I want them to learn psychology from examining different characters (in literature and on stage).  I want them to learn all that it takes to be a good actor, so that when they are older –past the strongest formative years – and possess maturity and wisdom they can influence their city’s performing arts community for Christ.

Seeing and believing.