I have read the piece from the social worker, Sarah Smith. I don’t know who she is, but I have an idea, and if it is the person I think, she has little to burden her soul. There is a limit to what people can do in the lives of other people, and what little we can do never accomplishes what we thought it would. We recall the first child welfare social worker, King Solomon, who’s best idea was to cut the kid in half. These days people are perfectly willing to cut the kid in half and half again. A job is a job, and a well paid job is especially a job.

Regarding my personal habits, I can say to the county, and to folks around town, and to my closest family: you don’t know anything about me. Pap said there was never an Irishman who couldn’t think clearer after a wrist tilt or two, and I’m not going to apologize for the barrels and barrels of good whisky and poteen and single malt and brandy and every other drink hard or soft I ever took. As far as smoking weed, I do it every day and it’s none of your business, nor does it make me a bad person. You know the noise in your own head, don’t apply it to me, you don’t know anything about me.

It is to your credit, Sarah Smith, that you recognize that the biggest part of your job is to make sure folks look all right to their betters. That’s important for you, too.

You presume on God when you measure and cut folks like that. First off, judgement isn’t your affair, that’s the sole business of the Lord. Next, you are not the potter, it is not to you to chop and mold the clay. You can’t figure how each person will grow. You can’t tell what mighty tree might spring from what you see as shit and sticks.

It should be up to family and friends to watch kids. When I was a kipper my Pap and some men from the building went into an apartment. They sent the wife and four kids down to visit with us, then they had a talk with the man of the house. They explained who he could trifle, and who they would kill him for if he trifled. He got it, and the girls in the family were happier after that. These days the men would go to jail, and neighbors don’t know each other anyway. When no one is doin’ a job and things are bad, only the government can pick up the job and make things worse.

Everybody would be better served if we admit two things:

First, it used to be the parish priest as held everyone in line. They were experts because they represented the Pontiff in Rome, who spoke with God and so knew the truth. Today, it is cops and social workers as keep us in line. Like the priests, their authority comes from high, higher than a mortal like you can understand. It isn’t God anymore, it’s science. The Federal government owns the scientists like the church used to own the priest.

Second, no body knows anything about you. No one gets to judge you, you don’t even get to judge yourself. It took me eighty years to finally understand that I don’t know shit about life, and the more people think they know, the less they know. We sometimes do find ourselves under the control of others. When that happens, we kneel when they say to kneel, and when they thrust out their bread, we tilt back our heads and lever out our tongues. If it comforts you to do that, you’re ahead. If it bothers you, just remember this: they don’t know anything about you.

Even you, Sarah Smith. Don’t judge yourself, keep your job. If you weren’t in that desk it might be some college educated city reject bringin’ her culture into the canyons; at least you’re one of us.

One last word: Bill Noddy is as good a tax accountant and back cracker as he is a preacher.