Clubs, by Lewis T

I was never a bridge player.  My parents played bridge but they never made an effort to teach me how (and I never asked).  Poker, yes, bridge, no.  I seem to remember that clubs were the runt of the litter when it comes to suits.  Maybe that's why the symbol for clubs was the three-leaf clover, something that constantly gets stepped on, unlike diamonds, hearts, and spades (the latter of which can be used to uproot clover).

Clubs could also be a weapon in the olden days.  In fact, they were the weapon of choice of the cave man and were often used to find a suitable mate — or, at least, a compliant one.

There used to be something known as a "club foot".  I don't hear much about them anymore.  Perhaps they went away as spinach became more popular.

The GOP used to be a party.  Now, they seem to me to be more like a club.  Political parties used to be fairly welcoming, as long as you were old enough to vote and have an opinion.  To join a club, you needed something more--a characteristic that branded you as an "insider".  My dad used to be something called a Kiwanian--a member of the Kiwanis Club.  Unlike Moose or Elk, Kiwanians did not have to drink a lot of beer and learn to make strange noises in order to be accepted.

Judging from the list of potential presidential candidates among Republicans these days, I would guess that among those traits that make one a stalwart is the belief that conviction is more important than knowledge.  Texas Senator Ted Cruz demonstrated this marvelously recently when he made his announcement as a candidate for President of the U.S.  Raising his right arm in the air and gesturing toward heaven, much like the Nazi salute but without the starchy uniform, he said, "Our rights do not come from man, they come from God".  I have no doubt that the God he had in mind was the Old Testament God.  I'm pretty sure it wasn't Thomas Jefferson's.  Cruz's club would not be a safe place for liberals, gays, scientists, non-believers, intellectuals, philosophers, people born in the U.S., and members of the middle class.  All others would be luke-warmly welcomed.

© 26 Mar 2015 

About the Author 

I came to the beautiful state of Colorado out of my native Kansas by way of Michigan, the state where I married and I came to the beautiful state of Colorado out of my native Kansas by way of Michigan, the state where I married and had two children while working as an engineer for the Ford Motor Company. I was married to a wonderful woman for 26 happy years and suddenly realized that life was passing me by. I figured that I should make a change, as our offspring were basically on their own and I wasn't getting any younger. Luckily, a very attractive and personable man just happened to be crossing my path at that time, so the change-over was both fortuitous and smooth.

Soon after, I retired and we moved to Denver, my husband's home town. He passed away after 13 blissful years together in October of 2012. I am left to find a new path to fulfillment. One possibility is through writing. Thank goodness, the SAGE Creative Writing Group was there to light the way.