
Little Johnny didn’t know why but every time he got to be really good friends with anyone, they would figure out how to beat him and then he did not want their friendship any longer. He had a really big part of his life that was very important to him, and he thought was hidden to others the fact he could not stand to lose. He hated with a passion any who would beat him in anything. It was just bread into his very being. Man, woman or child he used to think matters not to me they win their out. If you want to stay with me and be my friend, you must lose all the time he said ever sense grade school to himself every night. Â
         He could remember the first date with Rose Spieth, she wanted to him to be husband and wife when they got older, but Johnny was shy, he could not even speak about it with her. That is not what caused the breakup with Rose, though I can remember the night on the river, the moonlight was bright.  A tin can was floating in the moon light that night. I picked up a pepple and threw at the can. Rose laughed and said, “is that the best you can do?” She picked up a rock, and she done hit that can. And if that were not bad enough, she would not stop laughing at me. Well, she went down the road like a sixty-foot arrow. Â
         I’ve had many lady friends for sure in fact, but the problem is every time they get close enough that I  really love them, they up and beat me. I mean really how a guy would face his mother-in-law if she knew her daughter could beat him at anything. I don’t think I could take that much pressure before I would crack, he thought. Â
         Then as he gets a little bit older the girls start to push out the chest they think makes a difference to me. I would not even let them hold Spot I got so mad. Not me they have another thought coming if they think I would allow one of those rose-colored chicks to pull me into the bushes. I may be shy, but I am no fool I know what they want and I’m not kisses none so help me. Then here comes Rita Street. She gets friendly and wants me to sneak into the show house with her and set in the back row so we can neck. There is another lady not going to get to hold Spot. Thank God for that dog he has keep me from being smothered with kisses many a time. When he saw Brenda checking to make sure, she had better grades than I did he knew she was about to leave.Â
         Now he reaches high school and right out the gate here comes Patty Keller she smiles and works right up to his shoulder before he can get away, she challenges him to a game of checkers. Damn right, she beat me and she would not stop hitting my arm or laughing at me, so she’s gone to. Â
 First day in high school and the girls are acting kind of strange he thinks. If Frances, ask me one more time to kiss I will scream. No wonder she is named Fox it matches she’s a sly old thing. Yes Terry, I was thinking the same thing. Makes you wonder where we are going with this for sure. Â
         Well now here we are in high school and the silly things keep wanting to get married and have babies. They passed kissing and hugging they want family and all. Well, I am not giving an inch. They tried in grade school and every year sense. Well,  that thinking is out for sure I am not about to get pulled into the church balcony and sing I am much smarter than that. Â
         Good thing I quit collage for sure Patsy Hilton had eyes for sure she wanted me from grade school till now and keeps trying but I am not interested in that kind of stuff. Maybe what I should do is go down to the Yacht Club in Quartzsite Nevada, one of the biggest sand areas in Arizona, and they have a Yacht Club, and I will talk Sturt into buying me a drink. Then I will ask about the girls all wanting marriage. Now that I think about it Lee Taylor will know.  Ya, that’s the way to solve this I will go talk to the guys tonight and hear their side. Â
         Well hello Johnny be slow you still got that ugly dog Spot.  Steve, why would you call my dog Spot ugly? Maybe it’s because of the fact that one eye is brown and the other is black. One ear is white and the other is black. The dogs yellow and black dots have something to do with it. You always did have good eyes Steve. Hey Tipton, is Johnny joshing you again? Not yet but I’m a fixen to. You been eating to many grits Steve better go back to small frogs. Â
         Guys I have to tell you we’ve been friends a long time now and I know you all know me pretty much and I need you to tell me truthfully now should a guy be interested in a woman that can outshoot him or out climb him anything at all can a guy find happiness with a woman who just never loses? Scott jumped up and said if any one of you is dumb enough to tell a woman she does anything less than perfect, he had better call my secretary and set an appointment to lay on my couch. Ya David Harmer said my wife ask if the dress looked good one time and I told her the truth. Took two months of honey dos and chocolates to get passed that one he said. Â
         What is going on Johnny that you have so many questions and this kind. Hey Carl, you think Johnny might have just got a true look at life. Well look here guys I work night and day to make a living and now I have enough dollars to take a few days off I would like to take a gal with me. Well now Johnny its time we sat down, and I tell you a few things that have never in all your life entered your thoughts.Â
Johnny, throughout these years, you have not convinced the girls of anything; they knew the truth all along. The only person you repeatedly attempted to persuade was yourself.  You have convinced your self that you can not loose to a woman and now find you will either loose to her or never admit you beat her, but it matters not because you have loaded yourself down with so much garbage you will spend months trying to overcome the life you have lived. So, what do I do guys here I am at thirty wanting to mate and scared to death she will beat me at something. Â
         Johnny, it has been said that the temperature gauge is one gauge that measures one thing. The temperature and when you want it hot you push up the temperature and when you want it cold you push the same gauge and make it go down. What has that got to do with anything Robert? Well Johnny, nothings different in several ways with your situation. The mind is like the temperature gauge you just have to push it the way you want it. What I am telling you Johnny is to make it different you just think about the gauge and what you want it to do. Take this kissing and hugging thing that is so big to you and just think of it as a gauge and move the dial more to the Loven side and try to think about that as a gauge. One thing you must understand Johnny is there is no one on earth that can beat everybody at everything every time. Not possible not going to happen so what you need to do is start by cleansing out some of the garbage you loaded on and start fresh. Â
         Robert, I need a little help here, I am not capable of following a new trail without some kind of guide. That is the easiest thing on earth, my friend you have a built in Guide and all you have to do is ask and the it is there. Life is crazy that way Johnny we built walls to keep others out and we find they keep us in. The best part of the party is not the noise it is the thoughts of what the party is going to be. A birthday party is never the same excitement as what we imagine it will be. You built up this immunity to women and now you want one. The devil makes you not be happy and gay and God work at you in a different way. He makes you want what you need and the devil he wants you to want what you do not need. Â
         A person reads for several reasons one is to learn and one is for enjoyment. I truly hope this story gives both. The only rules I follow are there are no rules that cannot or should not be broken. Other authors say the names in this story are fiction and any connections to the actual is accidental. Hey, I may not know a verb from a noun, and I certainly don’t remember any rules about what I can say. So let me tell you about the names in this story or real and at the time I said they were my friends. I notice at the time when they see I have used their names to further my cause. What cause? Cause I don’t know any better, no one instructed me on how to write. I have no one to turn to and say it is her or his fault. I live trying to avoid a lie, but I get a release when writing a story. I can make Angles sing and dogs bark I have towers of power and a lifetime to spend. Where it goes and where it will end has no effect on where we are now. Cutting to the heart I will say you are now in Verl’s World we don’t have rules we don’t have dates. We are here for a few minutes together and if we have both gained a release of some kind then this here writer is happy as can be. Â
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A Messenger,Â
Verl K.