12 / May 2021 PRIME
Old Guy Matters of Principle By Jim Drummond
T
he old guy waterhole was got home from the waterhole, well underway when one of but she said that I’ve been promising all week and I our group rushed in the door. He commented to all of us, couldn’t leave until the job is “Sorry I’m late fellows, and I done. So I went in the garage, locked the door, turned a can’t stay long.” radio on, and climbed out the Everyone looked at him window.” inquiringly, then somebody Someone asked, “Why didn’t asked, “What’s the rush?” you just fix the blender The old fellow responded, “I instead of sneaking out? It had to sneak out to get here would probably only take a today. When I was getting few minutes.” ready to leave, my wife said that I couldn’t go anywhere until I The first fellow responded, fix her blender that’s sitting “It’s a matter of principle.” on the garage workbench. I Another of the old guys at the told her I would fix it when I waterhole remarked, “I had
to sneak out once last year. My wife said that her mother was coming to drop off some jam and I needed to be here. I asked if I could stay home but work in the garage. She said fine, just as long as her mother didn’t think I was avoiding her. I went in the garage, opened the window, and started to climb through but got stuck. I sucked in my stomach, and started to wiggle, then suddenly popped out the other side like a champagne cork. I landed on my head in the flower bed. When I hit the ground I heard a crunch,
and my shoulder felt strange. You gents probably remember when I tore my rotator cuff last year.” Somebody responded, “That must have been when you were in a sling for a month. I thought you hurt your shoulder lifting a table saw?” “That’s only what I told her,” the first fellow responded. Somebody else asked, “Why didn’t you just stay home and visit with your mother in law?” “It was a matter of principle,” was the response.
