An Ash Wednesday Story

Many years ago, I was a Purchasing Agent for Watkins-Johnson Company in Scotts Valley, California. The Lovely Mona and I and our Darling Daughters and Many, Many Pets were living in San Jose. Every Ash Wednesday I would attend the early morning Ash Wednesday service and then go on over the mountain to work. I was still smoking cigarettes then, and, it being California, all of the tobacco addicts had to go outside to smoke. One Ash Wednesday I was out in the Smoker's Area treating my addiction, when one the guys from the Receiving Dock came up to me and said, "Dude, you've got some toner on your forehead!" I explained the purpose of the smudge on my forehead and the idea of Ash Wednesday, and he found it interesting. The next day I was outside treating my addiction once again when he came by. He moistened his thumb, wiped it through the ash tray and then smeared the ashes on his forehead and said, "Smoker's Thursday!"