Homeland Security Parable


Here’s the secret to homeland security.
My truck blew a tire
On a suicide curve
In a forest so remote
My cell phone would not work
And I was stuck in a forest.
 
The wind chill factor was minus 5.
I had to pick up
my eight-year old Eamon
In a half hour from day care 
Or I would be charged
a year’s mortgage payment.
 
When I tried to get the spare tire off
The underside of the truck carriage,
It was frozen solid and would not budge.
My clothes became filthy in forest dirt
As I tried in vain for 45 minutes to remove the tire.
I went into the truck to get warm and think.
 
I had water and beef jerky in the truck cabin,
So I still had time. I had a full tank of gas for heat.
But the phone ... I tried to call my wife. No signal.
I tried to call my brother. No signal. 
 
Then ... eureka! What about 911?
They must have a stronger skip tower.
It just makes sense. I called 911.
“Where are you?”
“In Bennet Regional Park.”
“You want the Park Police.”
No ... wait ... but he transferred me.
 
Park Police ... I’m stuck in Bennet Regional Park ...
“You want the regional Park Police.”
“We’re the federal Park Police.”
No ... wait ... I can’t get a signal
From my cell phone where I am.
Can you call my wife and tell her
To pick up Eamon and to call USAA
To get me a tow truck out here?”
 
“Sure.” He took the information.
An hour later, she and the tow truck arrived.
But it was not over.
 
The tow truck took me to Pep Boys
Where no one spoke English and, worse,
No one wanted to fix the flat.
On to Wal-Mart where they stated
Emphatically they were closing in 10 minutes.
I told the truck driver to take me to God's Country,
Mount Airy, where I moved three weeks after 9/11
When I saw biological attack circle maps
Did not reach when they hit Washington, D.C.
 
On the way the driver said,
“Wait. In Damascus there’s a garage I know
Where the guy is in my AA group. 
You can’t say anything because 
It's all supposed to be anonymous.
 
You said you do volunteer civil defense, right?”
“Yeah,” I answered.
“Well then he has to help you. He’s a firefighter.
Law enforcement has to help each other
When they’re in a fix like you are.”
 
“But I’m not law enforcement! I protested.
I’m a volunteer for homeland defense.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He said. “He has to help you.”
 
A few minutes later, the firefighter
Who owned the garage opened the door,
My truck was in, and fixed, in minutes.
I returned the next day and bought
Four new tires from the same man.
 
That's the secret to homeland defense.
You depend on other people,
And they depend on you.
Some call it the Golden Rule.