‘Who’s idea was it to take a February 10th woods hike,’ Jane asked? I can not believe our good fortune with the weather in the 60’s,’ she continued. 

‘Well when I planned the event the day after Christmas I thought I might have to purchase some new warm clothes for the cold,’ Billy B laughed. ’I bought a new compass to secure our safety from becoming lost,’ Billy B remarked. 

‘It is a unique compass in that it has no markings for north or south only east and west,’ Chet quipped. ’What if we are traveling northernly or southernly, and we have no official instrument to notify us of our direction,’ Chet asked? 

‘The strangely attired gentleman at the Outdoor’s Store told me that most folks had decided that the directions North and South were not so important any longer since the New Politics had become in vogue…but rather if the user was drifting to the right or left…east or west,’ Billy B said with a look of consternation on his face. ’The Proprietor was dressed in a white suit but his eyes were like black coals…he smiled often and seemed to look through you,’ Billy B observed. ’The P went on to say that people had become much more fascinated with being considered liberal or conservative rather than identifying with a church or worrying about the afterlife,’ he said with a tear in his eye.

‘Well I am old and understand North and South without a compass and thus we shall begin walking north and see what happens,’ Neva J said with determination. ’The New Politics be damned,’ she proclaimed. ’I have been traveling both North and South all of my life…and all of the variations of the combination of directions,’ she noted.

‘So where are you folks heading,’ asked the man in black with the kindest blue eyes? It had not seen so many coming this way in some time what a nice day for a hike, he continued as he came toward them with a limping gate and a wide smile. ’It seems that people have exchanged faith for political expediency and cults and riches,’ The Old Man In Black said with a sad countenance.

‘Where does north take us…will it take us home,’ asked Chet?

‘

My friends you are home now if you believe,’ The Old Man said…