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The True Citizen, Wednesday, March 24, 2021 — Page 5
Michael N. Searles
There are eight species of
Sucker fish that are noted for
attaching themselves to and
riding about on sharks, other
large marine animals, as well
as oceangoing ships. Pilot fish
also have a mutual relationship
with sharks. The sharks act
as protection for the pilot fish
and apparently do not eat them.
The pilot fish in turn cleans
the shark’s teeth sometimes
swimming into its mouth re
moving fragments of food and
thus keeping the shark free of
parasites.
Individuals also can play a
When you say or hear some
one else say, “It’s been a year,”
do you feel like this measure of
time is a small one? Yet, when
you think about the number of
days, it feels much longer.
365 days.
Break it down even more.
525,600 minutes.
Makes me think of the song
Seasons of Love from Rent.
That’s how long my precious
supporting role by attaching
themselves to powerful people
for protection, notoriety, pres
tige, and guidance. Those
individuals, or hangers-on,
determine their importance
by closely associating with a
“Great Man.” Once the “Great
Man” dies or leaves the scene,
the hanger-on is a ship without
a rudder until he can find an
other “Great Man” with whom
to associate. The hanger-on
may be a person with some
distinction and may have the
respect and recognition of oth
ers, yet this is not enough to
motivate the hanger-on to chart
his own course. Let’s say that
such a person exists in high of
fice and while the “Great Man”
with whom he was attached
was present, the hanger-on
stood shoulder to shoulder ex
Granny Jean has been gone.
31,536,000 seconds.
The song asks,
“How do you measure? Mea
sure a year?
In daylights,
In sunsets,
In midnights,
In cups of coffee,
In inches, in miles, in laugh
ter, in strife...”
I find myself “measuring”
the loss.
365 days without my Jeop
ardy! and Wheel of Fortune
buddy.
365 days without smelling
that nasty boiling cabbage.
pressing what was thought to
be conservative and principled
ideas. This hanger-on was
viewed as a man of principle
and received the applause of
some and the censure of oth
ers. Yet during the time, few
doubted the hanger-on’s sin
cere and heartfelt philosophical
beliefs. Then the “Great Man”
died, and the hanger-on was
silent for a while.
A new “Great Man” later
burst on the scene and the
hanger-on shied away from
him and even castigated him
as a “race-baiting, xenophobic,
religious bigot.” While that
position seemed consistent
with the previous stand of the
hanger-on, it only lasted a short
time. As the new “Great Man”
gained power and influence,
the hanger-on made a reca-
365 days without slow stroll
shopping and trips to the outlet
malls.
365 days without, “Diana,
we need some new Vera Brad
ley.”
365 days without, “What you
want for supper?”
365 days without, “Today on
Judge Judy...” or “They told on
the news...” or “Oooh don’t
you look pretty.”
365 days without the pitter
patter of Granny feet or that
sound her medicine made when
she’d count it out into her pill
box on Sundays.
365 days without her rooster
SUCKERFISH
libration. The “Great Man”
was no longer seen as a terrible
person but as someone with
whom the hanger-on needed
to establish a relationship.
The “Great Man” also knew
he needed attendants just as
the shark needed pilot fish to
remove fragments of food from
its mouth. The hanger-on was
allowed to attend functions at
the resort of the “Great Man,”
and have private audiences
with him. This special atten
tion made the hanger-on feel
honored, valued, and valuable.
News sources contacted
the hanger-on to gain insight
into the thinking of the “Great
Man.” Along with this associa
tion came those who wanted to
know how to entreat the “Great
Man.” Everyone wanted to
know what interested “His
MISSING GRANNY
bed head and after shower
sentiment, “I might not look
no better, but I sure feel better.”
365 days without #Inter-
viewWithaGranny.
365 days without porch poli
tics, Whoppers, buying five
pairs of the same pants, crop
dusting Walgreens.
365 days without waking up
at 3 a.m. to turn the volume
on her television down. (“It
always gets loud when they
start shooting on Gunsmoke!”)
365 days without the warm
hugs and belly chuckles.
In the midst of these days
that are now marked by her
Greatness” and what he would
do next. Others believed that
the right word from the hanger-
on could lead to appointments,
special contracts, and lucrative
business arrangements that
only the “Great Man” could
provide. Great Men come
and go and this one, while no
longer as big as he was, still
captivates the imagination and
support of devotees.
No one knows how long
the former “Great Man” will
dominate the political scene
but power and fame fade in
time. He also will likely face
civil and criminal charges that
will make it more difficult for
him to exercise the power he
once had. The question is not
what will the former “Great
Man” do, but to whom will the
hanger-on attach himself. If
absence, our home is still not
the same. I pretend she is just
beyond that closed door to her
bedroom, watching her stories
or doing needle point and that
she’ll come out at any mo
ment for a pack of crackers or
some potted meat. She’ll raise
her eyebrows at me as if to
apologize for the interruption
and then linger to tell me what
“stoopid” thing Ridge has done
now. She’ll call her friend Ruth
and then say she worries about
the long hours Mama works.
She’ll tell me she loves me and
ask about my day like she does
every day.
past performance is indicative
of future behavior, it only will
be a matter of time before the
hanger-on finds another “Great
Man” to ride along side. With
this new attachment, the hang
er-on can dream of regaining
prominence by the association.
Maybe a fitting epitaph on
the hanger-on’s tombstone will
be his association with many
“Great Men” who he loyally
supported regardless of the
repugnance of their political,
social or ethical positions. As
a subscript, it could read, “As
a true adherent of power and
prestige, may the occupant of
this grave rest in the shadow
of giants.”
Some of my measurements
are in regret as I wish we’d
spent more time cooking to
gether or taking lazy drives.
The worst part of grieving
someone is thinking that there’s
something you could’ve done
differently that would have
bought you more time. I have
to stop thinking the way that I
do. My Granny is healthy and
beautiful and happy; she is
okay without us where she is.
We’re the ones who aren’t okay
without her. But we’re making
it. One day at a time.
Diana Royal
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