Live Free or Die – Places where God makes Men
Editors Note: This chat commemorates the upcoming anniversary of the untimely explosion of the Old Man on the Mountain. The void on the mountain remains almost as large as the void in our hearts. RIP Old man (beginning of time – May 3, 2003).
Pictured above: The Old Man on (or “of”) the Mountain, shortly before kablooing into thousands of tiny pieces as his very existence crumbled, trickled, and tumbled into the deep void that resides in our hearts. We love you old man.
Mark: He told me he bought a TV from the Home Shopping Network.
Mark: How can you buy a TV on a TV if you don’t own a TV?
Krystal: good point!
Mark: He has me stumped.
Mark: And I have you stumped as to my whereabouts.
Krystal: This is ridiculous
Krystal: You are in sri lanka [aka i give up]
Krystal: Give me a hint, I need it.
Mark: It’s gonna give it away
Mark: Do you want that?
Krystal: yes
Mark: The state mineral is Beryl.
Mark: okay, just kidding
Mark: the state motto is: live free or die
Krystal: meh?
Mark: where is meh?
Krystal: that is dumb
Krystal: next clue
Mark: the thing on the state quarter is no longer in existence
Mark: are you cheating?
Krystal: what. the heck.
Krystal: that is a worse clue than the bruce willis quote
Krystal: next clue
Mark: it is no longer in existence because it crumbled to its death
Mark: about 5 years ago
Krystal: that doesn’t help
Mark: it has the first primary
Krystal: worst game ever
Krystal: i don’t even care where you are anymore
Mark: come on?!?
Mark: you like games!
Mark: this is fun!
Krystal: new hampshire???
Mark: you cheated
Mark: did you cheat?
Krystal: i totally almost guessed vermont, which is like the same state
Krystal: what the heck are you talking about crumbling??
Mark: you have a new wall post (Article on Old Man)
Krystal: ok that is ridiculous
Krystal: that state is weird
Mark: it is a very touching tribute
Mark: its beauty is hard to fathom
Mark: from the naked eye
Mark: or outsider
Mark: or naked outsider
Krystal: zing
Mark: i’m going to read that article again
Mark: it moves me
Krystal: you can live on the old man aura in your heart
Mark: Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoe makers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but up in the Mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there He makes men.
Krystal: i was just about to post that last part on your wall
Mark: it’s very beautiful
Mark: don’t hold back
Krystal: was there not enough room on the back of the quarter for such poetry that moves grown men to tears?
Mark: the words could not be placed on the quarter
Mark: because they have already been stamped on our hearts
Krystal: wow. deep stuff
Krystal: btw, what was up with bruce willis and live free or die?
Krystal: live free or die..hard? no? just me?
Mark: it’s a play on words!
Mark: on the nh motto!
Mark: what great nh knowledge you are attaining!!!
Krystal: i feel privileged
Mark: isn’t it wonderful?
Krystal: it is, my friend.. it is
Mark: Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoe makers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but up in the Mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there He makes men.
Mark: in case you forgot
Krystal: the gold tooth part is my favorite..
Krystal: that must’ve gone back centuries
Mark: the old man went back centuries
Mark: until he exploded
Mark: into tiny little rocks
Mark: crumbling down the mountainside
Mark: until he was just a memory
Mark: that lives on in the heart of those who knew him
Mark: and gazed up him with great fondness
Mark: and admiration
Krystal: amazing
Mark: there were always 3 things i could count on
Mark: finding that extra twix candy bar in cupboard
Mark: losing all my pencils at school
Mark: i can’t remember the last thing.
Krystal: mmmmm twix
Mark: and that old man way up there in the air
Mark: he was like my father
Mark: looking down upon me
Krystal: until he crumbled..
Krystal: like all your hopes and dreams
Mark: poof
Mark: just like that
Krystal: RIP Old Man
Mark: could we have a moment of silence?
Krystal: ok thats enough
Mark: that was pretty momentous
Mark: that was like many moments of silence
Mark: mo-moments
Krystal: i know
Krystal: it was intense.. i grew closer to old man mountain guy
Mark: check your state quarters
Mark: you might see him again one day
Mark: i won’t see him again though
Mark: because he doesn’t exist anymore
Mark: because he is dead
Addendum: He had an impact on all of us. Even today, we see his face on our license plates and driver’s license and road signs. I suppose he would have wanted us to move on. He was always causing traffic jams and maybe he got tired of always having people look at him. He always had to look his best and not once complained. His heart of stone somehow loosened our own hardened hearts. He was more than a Man on the Mountain, he was a piece of rock. Rock solid, rock hard and rock steady. We will never take him for Granite.
Rest easy, dear friends.
