(click
here
for sound.)The Entrance and Speech of
Forrest Gump
(click
here
for sound.)
The door flew open, and there was light shaking of the conditioned air in that Denny’s. In walked a man, an outsider to the group to be sure. After some hesitation, he ordered a Grand Slam Breakfast (eggs over easy), and proceeded to speak.
"Mr. Socrates, I think your eggs are getting cold."
"Who the hell are you?" the Apostle asked.
"Oh, my name’s Forrest. Forrest Gump. I understand that you all were talking about love. I'm not a smart man, but I know what love is."
"And what have you to add to this discussion?"
"I don’t know if you know Jenny. I’ve known Jenny since, heck, I was a boy in Greenbow County. I met her..."
"We’ve seen the film, Gump," Gilgamesh interjected. "What’s your point?"
"Well, me and Jenny, we’s like peas and carrots. I guess what I’m trying to say is that love is just something you gotta feel for yourself."
Socrates scoffed. "You’re reducing all of love to ‘something you gotta feel?’"
"Well, Mr. Socrates, it’s nice and all to have fancy discussions about love and all, but unless you actually get to feel it, what good have you done? Mama always said that it wasn’t good to just talk about things I would like to do. Oh, Miss Waitress, can I have a Dr. Pepper?"
The frustration was evident on the face of the elderly philosopher. "But only through discussing the deep issues can we truly come to understand what is true, noble, and just."
"Mr. Socrates, have you ever been in love?"
"I love wisdom."
"Wisdom! Well, I don’t know about that. Wisdom don’t
wish you a good night, or talk to you or make
you a sandwich when you’re too tired."
Socrates fell stupefied. The Apostle stammered out, "But man does not live on bread alone."
The man considered the remark and spoke, "Well, of course. Mama never made sandwiches with just bread. She always put some balogna in there. Mama always liked balogna."
Socrates recovered, "Sir, you belittle everything I hold dear in this life."
"Mr. Socrates, I am not. I loved my Jenny. And now the only way that I can see her is when I close my eyes and think about her. I still love Jenny. And none of this wisdom stuff can bring her back. But... I love her."
The room fell silent. The assembled great minds had no more to
say. Dennis Eckersley (1) called it the walk-off. There was nothing left to do but pay the bill and
walk off.
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