I got a weird message on my answering machine today. It was a friend of mine from outside Cali, she wanted me to call her. She sounded strange, nervous, kind of.

I got a call from another friend in the same area two weeks ago, about a phone call he'd received from an "investigator."

OSA, these aren't the droids you're looking for.

I wonder how they get these phone numbers. Not that it matters, everyone knows that they might receive such a call. When they do, they get all excited and can't wait to tell me about it. They tell all their friends at work about how the "church" of Scientology is hassling a friend of theirs. OSA brightens their day a bit. They like being a peripheral part of the drama! Weird, isn't it?

The cult really made the day complete for a couple of my fishing buddies when they were followed from my house and got into a car chase. They liked it, too, and told everyone down at the landing about how they lost the mug in the van who was trying to be covert.

Imagine gathering around the water cooler on break. Most people talk about some tv show or other, but YOU get to say, "Church of Scientology called me yesterday, trying to get information on a friend of mine." Now, there's a real conversation stopper! Wheee! -- "I'm for the separation of church and hate."

Barb Chaplain, ARSCC(wdne) xenubarb@netscape.net

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