(My
long-time readers will recognize this as a rerun. Been pretty busy this week,
as you can tell if you have been reading. But I never miss an opportunity
to rib my Yellow Jacket friends......both of them. They would do the same
for me.)
It’s good to get out of that technical school country of Atlanta and into
the Bullldog country of Northeast Georgia. An old story that I heard years
ago, but perhaps some of you haven’t heard, illustrates my disdain for yellow
jackets. (I will not honor them by capitalizing their bug.)
This story is about three high school buddies who, when they graduated,
decided to go separate ways. One came to Athens, the second went to Auburn,
and the third stayed at home and went to Tech. Several years later, when
they graduated, they decided to take a trip overseas before launching their
careers.
The Georgia boy had been quite successful in the journalism school, had
edited THE RED AND BLACK, and had just received a coveted position with
the Associated Press. The Auburn grad had done well enough to be accepted
to vet school, and would return to school in the fall. The misguided Techster
had completed a course in advanced plumbing, electrical wiring, or some
such thing, and was seeking employment. Nevertheless, he had gotten an engineering
degree from Georgia Tech, and, in typical Tech humility, he never let his
travelling companions forget it.
The boys were in one of those strict Muslim countries where drugs were forbidden,
except for export. They got caught with a small amount of "recreational"
drugs. The Muslims, being strict fundamentalists (which the Republicans
and Baptists in this country can identify with), decreed that they should
be executed. The method of execution, a carryover from French colonial days,
was the guillotine. While the first two boys agonized over their fate, the
Techster, ever confident, told them not to worry. "After all,"
he reminded them, "I’M AN ENGINEER, AND I WENT TO GEORGIA TECH."
On the scheduled execution day, the three were led to the town square. The
Auburn grad was escorted to the chopping block, his head was placed on it,
and the signal was given to drop the knife. Nothing happened. The guillotine
stuck. A huge cry went up from the crowd. "It is an act of God. Allah
has spoken. Free the man!" As the boy was released, tears of relief
for himself, but of sadness for his companions, flowed profusely.
The UGA alumnus was brought to the block, and his head was carefully placed
on the block. The executioner looked up at the blade with some apprehension
and prepared to try again. A second time the blade stuck. Immediately, there
was an even louder cry from the onlookers. "Allah has spoken! Free
the man!" The scene of mixed relief and sadness was repeated as the
freed bulldog embraced his engineering buddy.
The Techster exuded no sense of fear or sadness. He confidently mounted
the platform and lifted his hand to the executioner to hold off. "I’M
AN ENGINEER, AND I WENT TO GEORGIA TECH," he announced. "I have
been observing this mechanism. If you’ll just give me a minute before you
put my head on that chopping block, I can fix this thing."
GO, DOGS!
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