And, so my journey began.....

A Saturday. Delightful weather, high 60s, clear blue sky. No chores that couldn’t wait. A used bookstore that I’d been wanting to visit called to me.
Circled the block a couple of times before I found a parking space. Interesting turn around for the area. Had a well….hippie atmosphere to it. Lots of health food shops, several shops selling crystals and all that go with them. Hey, even a psychic and an energy healer or two and why wasn’t I surprised, a bunch of astrologers. Hmmm.
About a half block from my destination I saw a table setup with a couple of kids standing by it. A few feet from the desk the young girl approached me, hand out with a pamphlet. First thought Hari Krishner?
She wore a medium-blue dress with long sleeves that almost dragged the ground. It buttoned up the front, the buttons ending at the neck that was fully covered. She wore no makeup: no lipstick, eye shadow, eye liner, rouge. Nothing. She wore a matching-color cap that covered virtually all of her hair…sort of nun-like.
I stopped.
Still holding the pamphlet she said, Do you know Linus Curtis?
Linus Curtis? Hmmm. Don’t think so.
Oh, please take this, again thrusting the pamphlet toward me.
I took the pamphlet. On the front in large letters it said, Know Linus Curtis. To know Linus Curtis is to be saved and have life ever after.
Great, I though, just what I needed. The girl eyes looked almost glazed in her manic enthusiasm. Hmmm.
OK. I’ll bite, who is Linus Curtis?
I’m so happy you stopped. I can save you. Well, Linus Curtis can.
Save me from what?
She gave me a look as if I were the dumbest guy in the world.
Save you from Heaven.
Oh, here we go I thought.
Heaven?
Yes, where you will go if you don’t believe in Linus Curtis.
What’s heaven?
Oh, I’m so glad you stopped. There’s still time.
Time for what?
For you to come to learn about Linus Curtis and for you to be reborn again. You do not want to end up in heaven. Oh, no. You will have to watch American Idol for an eternity. On and on….and no breaks. American Idol. You are strapped in a chair and your eye lids are propped open. And, that’s how you’ll spend the rest of your life…ah…the rest of your time.
Reborn? What are you talking about? At this point I was getting a little peeved. And frankly a little curious. You see, I’m a member of the fraud and forgery squad and this sounded well… I wanted to just go on my way, but….couldn’t. I guess my curiosity and my job dictated that I at least find out something about this Linus Curtis.
Reborn is when you accept Linus Curtis as your creator. Your savior. When you pledge your allegiance to him. When you agree to follow the tenants in the Words by Linus Curtis pamphlet.
Hmmm. I thought.
I’m a little confused. Christians talk about heaven as being a good place…a place where you want to go.
She smiled, and as if bringing me into a sacred secret, said in a quieter voice, Well, and looking around, you see….sadly they have it all wrong. Hell is the place we want to go.
Oh, what is hell like?
Ah, the Master says it’s whatever you want it to be. You just think it and it happens.
I’ll tell you what, would you all be able to come by my home and tell me more about…ah….Linus Curtis. I’m kinda busy right now. But, I’ll tell you. I’ll take this pamphlet and any others you have and I’ll read them and then you can come over and try to explain all of this to me. I surely don’t want to watch American Idol. I smiled, Hey, once would be too much.
She smiled back.
I’m Linus Mary, she said, and looking to the young fellow, and he’s Linus Fred.
Hmmm. And it just gets weirder I thought.
Ahhh, you have a first name of Linus and so does Fred. I’m a little confused. How did that happen?
Another huge glazed-eyes smile. We take his name when we are reborn.
Oh.
One more question and then I have to be going. How do you get reborn?
She suddenly seemed somber, dropped her head and closed her eyes. When she looked back up at me, she said, It’s a sacred ceremony and the only people who I can discuss it with are other women who have been reborn.
Oh, sure. I understand. Sort of like a, well, secret club.
Her expression immediately turned to serious, I love you brother, but please do not ever say anything like that again. Please never say anything even remotely negative about Linus Curtis.
Wow, I didn’t mean any disrespect.