A King and His Friends

[DOUGHBOYS]

Glenn was a New York kid. Some called him 'The King of Queens'. And after awhile, the name suited him so well, that he began to refer to himself by the same name.
Why am I mentioning Glenn?
I'm glad you asked.
Something so unbelievable happened to him that you may not believe it.
It's almost like it came out of a movie!
Here's the story....

Glenn was an imaginative kid. He imagined great things in his life. He imagined being a King. A King that would rule over all.
He would have minions serving him. He would have all others in his Kingdom wishing they were him.
These thoughts never left Glenn's head as he matured past his school years.
He chased after girls and sports and other things that came natural for boys his age, but Glenn knew that he had not truly found his rainbow.

One day, the weather started getting rough. Folks were scrambling to get off the streets and into their abodes.
Glenn didn't care. He liked bad weather. He stayed outside while dark clouds and tremendous winds had him swaying this way and that.
Unbeknownst to Glenn, behind him was a funnel cloud. It had touched ground and was carrying away everything in its path.
Tornado's are seldom seen in New York. They are mostly a hurricane-effected area, if anything.
But, here it was.

The tornado picked up Glenn and carried him far away. Glenn hit his head on debris that was in the whirlwhind, knocking him out.
His lifeless body was thrown this way and that in the mighty winds. The tornado continued on its destructive path, its winds lessening as if tiring from itself.

When Glenn awoke, he knew he wasn't in Queens anymore. He was in a room. The largest room he had ever seen in his life. If he were King, THIS would be a room in which he would rule from!
And in this room, were a lot of little people running this way and that with papers in their hands. Some, stopping to chat with one another.
"Where am I?", Glenn asked.
A fellow walking nearby stopped to say, "You are in the greatest place in the world!"
Although Glenn liked his smile and enthusiasm, he didn't really answer his question.
The fellow explained, "Here is where dreams come true!" "You can even be King!"
"All you have to do is find the right path!"
"How do I do that?", Glenn asked.
"Simple my boy!" You follow the yellow brick road!"

Glenn saw the long and winding road ahead of him.
"Following the yellow brick road is tried by everybody in this room. Now, it is your turn. Remember, there will be lots of decisions and bad things may happen, but follow the yellow brick road".
Glenn began to skip down the yellow brick road. He had never feared danger and was always on the look out for adventure.
He loved the thought and he dreamed of some day reigning in the room he was leaving.

Glenn skipped down the yellow brick road for hours till becoming hungry. He saw no food. But, he did see a river.
He fashioned a makeshift fishing pole from the branch of a tree and used some twine in his pocket for his fishing line. He pulled some thorns from a bush for a hook and put a worm on the end of the hook, threw it in the water and hoped for the best.
He waited a long time till he got a bite.
When he did, he was surprised. His fish went this way and that. Then, headed straight for the banks where Glenn was sitting.
To Glenn's surprise, the fish had two legs and started walking from the river towards him.
"What's the meaning of this!? If you wanted me out of the water, just ask, for Pete's sakes!"
Glenn was stupified.
"You can talk?....and walk?", he finally said.
"Of course I can walk and talk! Can't you?"
"Yes, but I'm not a fish."
"You got something against fishes? Sure, we're a little slow, but you don't have to poke fun at me!
"Oh no! I wasn't poking fun! It's just that back home, we don't have fish that talk or walk!"
"Wow, your fish are REALLY stupid!"
Us fish are not the smartest, I realize that. Heck, I wish I had a brain, but don't.
Glenn said, "I'm sorry to hear that. Would you like to go down the yellow brick road with me?
They tell me that at the end, I can be King. Maybe if I'm King, I can make sure you have a brain!"
"Sounds good".
"Umm, I'll just need to drink a lot of water along the way".
"Ok", Glenn said, "And by the way, what is your name?"
"It's Mike...Mike Trout."
And with that, Glenn and Mike Trout skipped happily down the yellow brick road.

Glenn thought that he had the best of starts in having Mike Trout join him down the yellow brick road.
He was great company!
Glenn and Mike walked for days, stopping to get Mike Trout loooonnnng drinks of water.
They walked until coming upon a fork in the road. They picked it up and continued.
A few miles later they saw a figure on the side of the road.
"Hey, you two, come over here, I got something to ask of you.", the man said.
Do you guys have any thing of value? Food, gold, anything? I'll take anything!"
"Why you're nothing but a bum!", Glenn said.
"Madison T Bumgarner, to you, Sir!"
You're right, I am a bum. I'm not proud of it, but I was born this way. Nothing I can do about it. You think I like living this way? I don't have a heart. Never did. Without a heart, I am left to bum off what I can from other folks."
Glenn said, "We're walking the yellow brick road. If reaching the end, I can become King and grant you a heart! Would you like to come along?"
"Sure, can I bring a friend? His name is Nolan Arenado. He's a lost soul following a Rocky path. This may be good for him and you.
"Sure!", said Glenn, and they continued down the road.

Days later, Mike Trout saw something. He had fisheyed a bush. A bush that was shaking while all others were still.
He pointed at the bush to Glenn.
Glenn was intrigued.
He went over to the shaking bush. He put his hands on it and clutched it, trying to make the bush stop shaking.
It still shaked.
Then, it was as if the bush talked.
Glenn heard, "You ain't gonna hurt us, are you Mister?"
Remembering that he was in a strange land, walking along with a fish, a bum, and his friend, Glenn only responded, "No, I will not hurt you."
And with that, three figures stood up from behind the bush.
One, shaking uncontrollably.
"We hide from everybody. We have no courage. I've thought everybody was spooky from birth. They even named me Spooky, but I've changed my name to Mookie.
Mookie Betts.
And this is my buddy, Kris Bryant, and his buddy, Jake Arrieta".
"We're trying to reach the end of the yellow brick road", said Glenn. "If successful, I will be King and give you courage!
"Would you like to come along?"
Excitedly, Mookie exclaimed, "Are red socks, red? Of course we'd like to come along!"

Along the yellow brick road, Glenn and his friends faced many dangers.
A wicked witch who called himself, 'Don'. A gekko who seemed relentless. Even a fellow who claimed he was from near Glenn's old home, the Bronx, tried to slow Glenn and his friends down.
But, no matter what tricks they used, Glenn and his friends perservered.

Glenn and his friends reached the end of the yellow brick road about a month ago.
Mike Trout got a brain.
Madison T Bumgarner got a heart.
And Mookie Betts got some courage.
Glenn knew that if he hadn't met these friends along the way that he never could have made it to the end of the yellow brick road.

Glenn did not have to imagine any longer.
Now, he IS the King.
Not only the King of Queens, but King of all the land.
One day soon, Glenn will go back to that great room and he will be King there too.

Apologies to Lyman Frank Baum....

[King of Queens]

Incredible job, Dan! From black & white, to color, and back again, I laughed the whole way.

I made many "friends" this year. Some were along for the entire ride, but just as important were the Aaron Harangs and Kelby Tomlinsons. They may have only been around for one or two weeks. As it turned out, it was just long enough to find a better friend the following Sunday night.