Pipes are Like People

 They're like people in that they must be treated with care.  I've never broken a pipe, until just the other day, but when I dropped my Gettysburg pipe and the stem broke, I learned a very important lesson.  People need to be treated well, especially those in our lives.  Some, like some pipes, are to be admired, but like pipes, while people are the same, each of us are individually different.  And too, there are a lot fewer pipes in this world than there are people.

We all have our favorite people in this world.  My circle is relatively small, but I've kept it that way on purpose.  And my wife is the curator of our circle of friends and family, with a few exceptions, but she knows who they are.  I have no secrets from my wife.  I've purposely done this throughout our nearly 50 years of marriage.  And I really have no secrets I keep from others, except for my life before she knew me, but even then she knows most of them.  

But I'm a firm believer in keeping my life rather simple.  I hate complexities of life and living.  I think this is why I like a pipe.  It's rather simple, although there are tobaccos that can be rather complex and will make me think about what it I'm smoking.  Prior to the past 30 years I could say my life was too complex.  I used an allegory from a quote I like.  I have quarters and not many pennies.  They add up to more than a dollar, but those I have are just more valuable.

My pipes are like that.  Each one has its own story, but some I value more than others.  I value my quarters in life more than I do my pennies.  So, my pipes make my own allegory.  People can come and go in our lives, but there are those we value more.  But it doesn't have to be about quarters and pipes.  We can compare it to anything we collect.  Nothing has more value than people, I don't care what it is.  We can compare artwork, or anything of value.  

At my age, I'm not interested in making more friends, but that is not to say I won't.  But I value what I have.  This is important to my Spirituality.  Less IS more.  Even if I had more quarters, they'd number less than pennies.  They're simply more valuable.  I don't need more pipes.  And if one breaks, I have others.  But I'd miss it more.  This is how I value people.  

I can learn a lot from life from my pipes.  Each one has its own value.  I don't have so many I would miss one.  I'd miss any of my quarters in life.  Pennies aren't easy changed into quarters, but it happens.  Just not often.  And I'm not willing to change a quarter into nickles, dimes, or pennies.  Maybe none of my pipes are worth a lot, but when one breaks I'd miss it.  And maybe my Gettysburg pipe can be fixed.  People often can't be.  Once we lose a quarter it could be lost forever.  They're just harder to part with.  Not so with pennies.  

So, that is my allegory this morning.  I was once told by a Ph.D. in English who was once a college professor that I was good with allegory.  I might be simply because I can understand allegory, when some people can't grasp allegorical thinking.  I can.  This morning it is not my Gettysburg pipe, but is my Jirsa Czech pipe with some Bayou Morning having smoked the last of my Crooner.  Thank you for your time and Peace to each one of you.

Dave