A Cautionary Tale

Last week, the girls' cousins moved back from out of state
and we enjoyed a belated Christmas celebration with them
over the weekend. As part of the homecoming festivities,
we broke out our acrylic paints, wooden peg dolls (bought
in bulk years ago and saved for special occasions just
like this) and scrap cardboard. An afternoon of crafting
later, we finished this rocketship and some astronauts
and aliens (or, to be more PC: beings
from an alternative civilization).


Thus begins our tale of intergalactic relations.

See our team of astronauts with their gleaming spacecraft,


their spirits buoyant with hopes of establishing
strong ties with otherworldly alliances


as they carry with them the well-wishes of one civilization


into another.


One giant leap for pegkind etc. etc.


The request for peace talks with the governing powers


is expeditiously answered


and our ambassadors are granted an audience
with the Supreme Council of Elders.


The meeting is brief


and decisive


and our brave explorers comprehend too late
that the physical risks of space travel


are not limited merely to the relativistic effects
of traveling outside the speed of light.


Moral of the story: When on interplanetary blind dates,
it is NOT a good idea to say, "take me to your leader".