TRUE STORY

....and nothing but the truth. So help me God." I'm in court again. It's nothing serious. I made the mistake, at the end of hunting season, of driving through Montgomery on my way to an afternoon deer drive in Maybrook.  Montgomery has the reputation of a small backwater Georgia "speedtrap" town. Eight generations of Osterhouts resided there at one time or another. The ones that aren't spinning in their graves, run the risk of overzealous traffic officers any time they drive through. "36 mph in a 20mph school zone." the prosecutor stated, looking at me over his glasses. "I went to second grade in this courtroom." I proclaimed "8 generations..." The DA smiled. "So I guess you know where the school is." He had me there. "I plead insanity." "$150. Pay the clerk."

    I pled guilty to running a stop sign. 2 points and the one fitty. I lied. The DA lied. The judge accepted our lies. The well oiled wheels of justice turned smoothly. All was wrong with the world. And it's the lie that interests me. I may not always tell the truth, but when I don't I'm very conscious of the falsehood. So, how is it Brian Williams, (my guy) the "trusted", good looking, father of GIRLS actress Alison Williams, voice of corporate media, tells a lie, repeatedly, on national news, and doesn't realize it's gonna end his career?  I feel betrayed. I've had some experience with inexplicable liers. Uncle Johnny was a Vietnam war hero, multiple medal recipient, Major in the Green Berets. At his height of delusion he sat in open convertibles, in full uniform, waving to adoring crowds. Turned out he was a corporal in the army.......that's all. It took a lifetime to spin that one. Then he died.
    But we're not talking a sad relative of mine. We're talking the fucking voice of NBC. What would make this man feel the need to put himself closer to the action, than he actually was? He was in a "group of helicopters" that came under fire. That's pretty cool and macho and gives him that war correspondent cred., he obviously desires. But noooooooo. That wasn't enough. He put himself in the one that got hit. Didn't he think that kid that actually had a bullet wiz past his balls, wasn't gonna speak up? The only way i can explain it is, just like Uncle Johnny, he had to lie. He couldn't help himself. He wanted his medal to be shinier. And once he lied, he couldn't stop.
   I have no idea what I'm gonna do about the 6:30 news. I don't trust Lester Holt. Too much Murder TV. BBC has those accents and PBS has no art direction. CBS and ABC suck, and FOX will make me want to kill myself. Maybe I'll just stop watching the news. That wouldn't be such a bad thing. It's more an "open a beer and twist one" ritual anyhow. A reward at the end of the day. And Brian was always there.Maybe tomorrow I'm gonna pick up a book, or tackle cleaning out that closet, or organize those shoe boxes of a cassettes.....When Walter Cronkite left I got through it. I know, nobody under 45 even knows who that is. Why can't people tell the truth? You know, when I was back in the shit, slogging though the jungle with my fellow soldiers, bandoliers of .50 cal ammo slung across my sweaty body, you knew the guy on either side of you would, always, ALWAYS tell you the truth. Semper fi.