There are thoughts that haunt me. I start awake to the phantom whisper of my own voice. My phantom holds council with me as I dream, but he is no friend of waking Dick. To Dick Slumber he is a vigilant and steadfast friend. To Dick Cheney, a familiar stranger who daily retreats as I rise to attack the day. Dick Phantom makes no salutation or overture of friendship. He merely completes his council with Dick Slumber in words too soft for me to hear, admonishes me in a hoarse whisper, and then turns and fades from view.
It has been this way for more than 30 years. For 11,000 mornings, he has chastised me with the same four words, “You can do more.” He is a messenger of the one true God, who I hold in my heart and to whom I have pledged my life, my labor, and my soul. And so I strive to do more. One more dollar, one more lie, one more war. I can do more. This is one more memoir, about one more man, who always took one more step. And I will continue until my lungs no longer hold one more breath; so that when I stand before my Lord, he might offer me a seat at his right hand. Perhaps I’ll finally rest and smile with glorious satisfaction, as one more soul is cast into the lake of fire.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start at the beginning.
Note: I cheated a little. This version is three paragraphs long. The original challenge was the first paragraph of Cheney’s memo. I made in a single paragraph for the challenge but broke-up the ideas here. Hey, this is my blog, the only rules are mine.
Note: The image on this post was taken from another post comparing Dick Cheney to Mr. Potter from IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
