THE FIRST GREY HAIR

Every man eventually comes to a point in his life where he confronts his epiphany moment.

Sometimes, that crossroads moment is a life or death option.

Meet Artimus Reilly...

A man knee deep in the moment in a caveat horror...

Facing more dire dread than discovering on his face...

The First Grey Hair!

RLJ

(Season 4, Episode 20)

THE FIRST GREY HAIR

One day, not long ago, all the street thug life looked stupid to me… 

All of the late night, covert, gang shootings, 

And the cover of darkness fighting of people I never knew,

And the late night dangerous sex,

And the late night hanging out at the thug clubs,

And the smoking and the drinking,

And the 'bitch slapping' seemed stupid. 

This profound revelation came to me on that mind altered, 

Fuzz filled morning… after I glanced, again, into my bathroom mirror.

I had dreamed of a monstrous creature that visited me while I was awake.

This huge dark creature approached me in the darkness of my nightmare.

It cornered me in the swirling blackness,

Handed me this monstrously huge tomb and made me to read a tale of horror.

And when I awakened… I possessed a secret from the hell that is my awful life!

Something needed to change in me, because the creature told me so!

As I tried to push out the burning alcohol blood acid mix from my bladder, 

That was supposed to be piss,

There it was…

The horror reflected back at me…

Hitting my eyes like sand in a wind storm,

Causing me to rub the sudden irritation --

The irritation of welling tears --

Caused by the numbing sight

Of my first gray hair -- there -- in my beard!

My heart sank to the bottom of my chest, 

As my early morning bravado haze evaporated!

I suddenly realized,

In an epiphany of blurry thought,

That I am 42 years old and I am a bad human being!

My practically still smoking Glock 26k,

Over there on the desk, 

It suddenly looked like a cannon,

As this emotional wave hit me!

A sudden realization slapped me straight…

‘I'm too goddamn old for the asshole crap I do!’

And then there came the coded knock on my front door.

‘The Dawgs’ were here one goddamn hour early.

The hit over on the Southside was obviously moved up in time.

They were coming for me to use my cannon!

Why they needed me for this one was something I could not figure out.

But, they were here and they were here for me.

And then the content of my nightmare sprung to my mind.

I was warned that today would be the day for a life altering decision!

Holy shit…

A whole lot more of the craziness went down that morning…

You never abandon the gang without paying a heavy price!

I decided that I was now done with the bullshit!

Something inside my mind was forcing me toward a horrible conclusion!

And what be the price in giving up my favorite piece of the action…

When my mind is telling me that I have more important things to consider…

Like how in the hell do I stop the next gray hairs from forming in my face?

And... how the hell do I explain to my moms,

Later on when I see her the next time,

The loss of my left pinky finger?

RLJ