There are probably about two people on the planet who will even get this story, but I’ll tell it like you are one of those two people. Then I’ll explain it, since you are really probably one of the 5,999,999,998 other people.
My Physical Science class is a real special time in my week. It’s a general ed class and I think most of the class is made up of freshmen, and I mean freshmen. Like they have been freshly plucked from high school. If you are 21 or older you know exactly what I mean.
I am surrounded by kids who think it is funny to badger the teacher with statements like “But you said if I didn’t know the answer to a question I could just say ‘the tilt of the earth’ and I would probably be right. So why did I get the question about precipitation types wrong?”
Yesterday, one particular individual greeted the professor with, “Teach us, O Wise One.”
The professor replied, “I will, my young grasshopper.”
The young grasshopper did not get the joke because that movie came out fifteen years before he was getting his first diaper change. Not 20 seconds later, Mr. Professor was asking Young Grasshopper what the cloud coverage was like outside. Young Grasshopper replied that he had no idea because when he walks around, he looks forward and never bothers to look up into the sky.
I began to laugh a quiet laugh to myself, and marveled then at the mysteries of our universe.
This is probably where you are confused.
If you have never read The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, well first, SHAME ON YOU! I have recommended that book too many times for you to sit idly by and go on not reading it. Secondly, a pretty pivotal group in the book lives on a planet far out in the galaxy. They sing little songs and play with their children and their puppies.
They never look into the sky.
Ever.
When a spaceship crash lands on their planet, they look up into the sky (for the first time in their history) and come to a conclusion about the rest of the universe. “It’ll have to go.”
They then proceed to destroy the entirety of existence.
The name of the planet is Krikkit.
I think that out of all the Young Grasshoppers who could have been in that room, out of all the books I could have read in my lifetime, and all the possible conversations that could have taken place in class….. I think that God gets my sense of humor, and knows how much I love to laugh, and he put all that in place just so I would get it.
That was funny, God.
