The Pinehurst Hotel is a dandy. It’s an historic, upscale
golf resort dishing out free tea and crumpets (cookies, actually) to anyone wandering into the
lobby with shirt and shoes.
This is where I met Jan yesterday, the woman interested in
finding God outside church.
Anne Brechtelsbauer is the best promoter I’ve ever had. She introduces me as “a wonderful author” to everyone we meet. If they show any interest in
spiritual things, Anne tells them I’ve written “the greatest book ever written,”
which is The First Idiot In Heaven. She describes the book perfectly, of course, but it’s just a tad awkward, because the people we’re
talking to don’t yet know it’s the greatest book ever written; they’ve
only read books like Huckleberry Finn and War and Peace. They’re
skeptical. By the time Anne finishes, however, everyone is willing to
concede that, yes, it is probably the greatest book ever written.
I dropped off Jan’s autographed copy of The First Idiot
in Heaven yesterday at the front desk, where it will be awaiting her upon her return to work Saturday. Here is Jan:
Here are some other looks outside and inside the Pinehurst Hotel:
Anne’s friend Gloria came over last night to meet me and ask
probing questions concerning the holy spirit. My answers to these questions
bred more questions, and more answers. (It is so fun having answers.) By the
time we finished the Scripturefest an hour later, Gloria said, “This is so fascinating. You
are blowing my mind.” It is not every day that a 78 year-old woman tells you you are blowing her mind, but it’s most satisfying when it occurs.
Feeling celebratory, the three of us dashed off to the
Bonefish Grille, which is where you see us here:
I am having a great time. This is the land
of Mayberry Raleigh ,
where Andy and Aunt Bea—and perhaps even Gomer and his girlfriend Miss Lou-Ann
Poovie—used to go for a metropolitan experience.
Barney stayed behind to protect Mayberry from Otis.
© 2013 by Martin Zender
