Walter on the Lamb!

When my child was very small her mother and I took to anthropomorphizing all of her stuffed animals. They had names. They had back stories. They had lives. So it was no surprise that when I acquired a stuffed hedgehog he also came with a name, a back story and a life. What I did not realize was that he also had history. Had I known that, perhaps I would not have made him a roommate. At the least I would have done a background check. Well I didn’t and here’s what follows.

Walter.... excuse me Kunta Kinka III (Turns out Walter was his slave name) is on the lamb. Oakland PD was looking for him shortly after he was seen on video selling Ganja at the Mac Arthur Bart stop. I kind of let him have his own space lately. I thought he was just having a personal crisis so I didn't put 2 and 2 together and when he told me that the 12 packs of Zigzags were really hedgehog toilet paper I didn't question it. Maybe I should have. He seemed to be coming and going a lot and trying to find himself. He was frustrated at not being able to braid his quills into dreadlocks. His Rastafarian thing was OK for a while even if he did sound like Miss Cleo, but then he got on his 'Hedge Hog Power' trip and started asking for reparations, section 8 and a civil servant position with the Feds. I kept telling him he wasn't qualified for most of the positions he wanted and he said "200 years of working for the man” qualified him and I could “no longer oppress him." I asked him "Well what about the Indians? They were here first and they are oppressed shouldn't we give any Fed jobs to THEM FIRST?" He said his people were not here when they were being oppressed. I said "Exactly!" I pointed out our people were not here when his people were getting oppressed, but he wouldn't hear it. He stormed out close fist (paw?) with his little fore arm extended (which was really kind of a challenge I mean to walk on only 3 legs) singing "We Shall Overcome." When the cops came by they said that Walter, sorry, Kunta actually was suspected in other crimes, He was seen on 14'th and Mac Arthur pimping out underage hamsters. He was using an alias of Walter X for a while. I wonder about all the other Walters out there. Walters, Walters everywhere and not a one can think! Maybe Walter will show up and change his life. Maybe he'll take responsibility for his action since that is the only real power we have. Maybe he'll stop trying to live on the sacrifices of others and make some of his own. Maybe he'll honor those that came before him by using all that God has given him to the best of his ability. Maybe he'll realize we are only special when do special things for the benefit of others. Maybe he'll realize this, maybe not. We'll hope for the best, but I just can't help feeling that I'll soon be looking out the window across the bay at Walter's new home at "Hotel Saint Q." I'll keep you informed.