Turns out, my ‘fishes and loaves’ comment has been a real gut buster for my boss. He brought it up during a meeting the other day and could not stop laughing. My response, “We’ll always have fishes and loaves. I really do love Dr. Seuss – with rhyming you just can’t lose.” “You may be on to something,” he replied.
I shared this story with Alice, who also couldn’t believe I wasn’t familiar with the bible. “Look, I know what it is,” I replied. “Right, but fishes and loaves is a parable of Jesus,” she told me. “Uh huh. I’ve known a Jesus or two in my time – primarily in a biblical sense. But no Jesus I ever knew mentioned fishes or loaves. I really should have asked if they knew how to turn water into wine,” I said and added, “You know, if the bible rhymed, more people might read and remember it.” I then attempted to make a rhyme for ‘away in a manger.’ My incredible use of ‘stranger,’ and ‘danger’ were impressive to her. “”You’re pretty good. I better get going. Sorry for drinking all your wine,” she told me.
As ‘impressed’ as Alice was with my biblic limerick, she couldn’t wait to get home and watch a Barbara Walters special. Derek Jeter was being interviewed by Barbara as one of the ten most fascinating people. Alice likes Derek Jeter, primarily because she loves the Yankees. Loves, loves, loves them – like Noah loves his ark. She also really loves Jesus Montero and, if she could, would love to know him in a biblical sense. If only fishes were wishes.