"The Life Saver"------Fiction

Last night, right after the Planning Commission meeting, I experienced a once in a life time event-----the chance to save a life. Yes.

I got the cell phone call from the Garrison Hospital Emergency Room at 9PM. Herman, my old country boy lawyer, had been taken via med flight there after suffering heart attack symptoms. I dropped everything and rushed to his side.

I rushed right to the intensive care where he was on a breathing device.

"How did this happen, Herman, ?" I asked. You seemed fine right before Valentine's Day. Then he explained.

For Valentine's Day, his wife gave him a surprise gift. A large Lane stratolounger and a large big screen tv. She explained that she was proud of him, and being that he was on the Normal School Board and all, she felt he deserved it.

The next day, after very little sleep, with all the channels to explore and all, he felt his wife deserved a matching stratolounger----with beautiful leather just like his.

The problem began to build right away however. With the two large stratoloungers and the big screen TV in action, there was no room left to entertain...and even move about.

Then Herman's wife had the solution. A 4000 square ft home was available at the edge of town in the fashionable new area.

"You deserve it, Herman, " she said.

It seems that there were no homes that just had a large living room and nothing else large. It was "supersize" or nothing.

Besides, his wife explained that their "building capacity" had changed and that according to her calculations, they were 2000 sq. ft. short.

What a crisis situation! It was worse than any I had faced here at home. After all. She thought she loved him.

After a whispered conversation with Herman, with all the breathing tubes and such really in the way, I reminded Herman that under Minnesota law, he had a "cooling off period" and I begged him to use it.

He agreed. When his wife saw what rough shape Herman was in, she also agreed.

After arranging for the return of both stratoloungers and the big screen T.V., and cancelling the house purchase agreement, I headed back to good old Wisconsin.

It sure is good to get back home. Where we don't redefine "building capacity" on a whim and give folks a heart attack.

Alleluia.