The Tale of Three Pigs.

My grandson Nathaniel wants a bedtime story almost every night. I have told more versions of the Three Little Pigs than I care to think about. He also loves stories of Bucky the Goat. Bucky is my muse for little boys who need cautionary tales from time to time.

The state of our union is very much like the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf. Our Government Debt is like a house of straw. Any day now, we will hear those ominous words,"Little Pig, Little Pig, Let Me IN!!!! And the Big Bad Wolf Will huff and puff and blow our house down.

Actually, it has already happened, but the poor little pig who built the house is in a state of denial. He isn't running for cover or safety. He is sitting among the scattered straw waiting for someone to come along and help him to his feet.

The House of Sticks represent our Politicians. They have tried to convince us that balsa wood is just as sturdy as oak or cherry. We simply can't get anything done, because the stack of sticks keeps getting taxed and and re- purposed for another stack of promises that won't be kept when the next campaign comes along.

And the Big BAD WOLF just keeps pulling the wool over our eyes every two to 4 years, making sure that the house of sticks will never shelter any pig ever again.

The house of Bricks represents our constitution and our forefathers. Their house was solid and true. It kept away the wolves and gave all of the people shelter from harm.

Now we come to Bucky the Goat. I want tell stories to the grand kids in the dark so that they will fall asleep faster. KaeLynn always wants a story about a princess, but Nathaniel is fixated on Bucky.

Bucky the Goat lives on a Farm. There is a senior Billy Goat there too. But the farmer wanted to give Bucky a sense of purpose, so he trained him to pull a cart with his baby daughter around the farm. It was Bucky's job to keep the baby safe and at night, it was Bucky's job to keep the chickens safe while they slept.

One day, The Big BAD WOLF came sneaking up to the chicken coop, aiming to do some grievous harm and theft. But Bucky was standing guard and held his ground. The Wolf taunted him and tried to make him feel small and worthless, but Bucky knew his purpose in life and lowered his head and ran for all that he was worth straight for the belly of the Big BAD Wolf! The Wolf was so surprised, that he ran off crying and was never seen again.

We are like Bucky, we have a purpose in life and we are not fearful to do our jobs and we do not hesitate to confront the Big BAD Wolfs of this world.

Nathaniel understands that Bucky loves his home and will protect it with all of his ability. He is not the senior Billy Goat, but he is no less important. Bucky has been loaned out to other farms from time to time to find new adventures and life lessons. He has also confronted The BIG BAD Wolf's brother with the help of all of the barnyard animals.

There are some of us who think that a Wolf does not exist in today's society. But he does, you just don't always recognize him until it is too late.

But just as there are Big BAD Wolves in the world, we have individuals who are courageous enough to stand up against them. They are the ones who wait in their solidly built brick houses refusing to open the door. They keep their fires built with a pot of water boiling in wait for that determined wolf who slides down the chimney.

Life is too short to argue how the sticks will stack to build a house or that straw will only last as long as the first fierce wind. It is only the solidarity of bricks and mortar that will withstand the buffetings of a determined predator or enemy.

Whether you choose to be the brick, the brick-layer or the mortar, you are all needed. But our house will never be built if we all are expecting that only the bricks will be needed or that the mortar is more important.

The brick-layer has an important role as well. He needs to get the right consistency for the mortar to hold the bricks in place and to insure that his house will stand on a firm foundation.

I want to be like Bucky and enjoy my purpose in life. I want to be unafraid of the Big BAD Wolf. I would hope that I am like the pig who built his house of bricks, fully prepared to withstand the buffetings of a predator or enemy.