Grandpa! I knew you'd show up sooner or later. You must have heard my story of the onion rings and figured out I was trying to teach something you did not learn.
You are being very hard on me.
You deserve it.
So now what do I say?
What do you want to say?
I want to tell you to mind your own business.
I am.
It doesn't sound like it to me. It sounds like you're minding mine.
There was a lot to mind.
How do you know?
I was there, remember?
No, I don't remember this angry woman.
I wasn't angry then. Well, maybe I was. But I had a right.
Tell me, what right was that?
The right to live a good life.
And how did I deny you that right?
You were selfish and greedy.
That may be true, but didn't you still have a good life?
Yes, I guess so.
So then what right are we talking about?
I had the right to love or to hate you.
And you chose hate.
Yes.
Yet you are still not satisfied with hating me. You want something more.
I want to be able to hate you even harder.
What would that accomplish?
If my hate was stronger, I could probably get other people to hate you too.
Without even knowing me?
I would tell them about you, and then they would know you.
Then by all means, tell them about me.
I already did.
Do they hate me?
I suspect they feel my anger but can't hate you because you're not around. Maybe they will take that anger and use it to hate someone in their own life.
So it's spreading.
I guess so. Probably yes.
Is that what you want to do with your life, spread hate over the earth?
I'm not spreading hate. People are bringing hate upon themselves by being selfish and self-centered. It's not wrong to hate something evil.
I heard you talking about choices. Do you have a choice in this?
Yes. And I am choosing to hate you.
Does the Voice encourage you in this?
The Voice says nothing about that.
I hear the Voice.
Did the Voice encourage you to take two pork chops?
The Voice said nothing about that.
Grandpa, I don't want to talk anymore. Please go away. Maybe later on I will be able to discuss this, but right now I can't give in so easily. I have lived my whole life motivated by anger of one kind or another. I don't know how to live without it. Please go away, Grandpa. Please, just go away.