Coffee With Mr Conscience

There are a lot of people like me neither rich nor poor, idling in the middle who have never wanted for anything in our lives. We were reared by parents who fed us and sent us to school. We graduated and found jobs and then moved on to better ones. We raised families of our own. We have pensions now and can pay our bills. We can buy a new recliner when the old one breaks. Which is why I hate to stop for coffee at Pete’s Diner and find Mr. Conscience there sipping his and waiting to ask me what I’ve done for the poor lately. He’s an old caseworker who worked in the projects until retirement. He volunteers now with a group that caulks the gaps public grants don't cover. He never gives me a moment’s peace, always after me to help a needy person. He’ll take cash or a check, isn't fussy. He’s Mr. Conscience and he drives me nuts. But I wouldn't have coffee with anyone else after watching the inauguration. Donal Mahoney