servethispeacefultowncarefully.

    AmericawasinthemidstoftheGulfWarwhenIranionMarathonlastyear.EverywhereIwentinAmerica,Isawyellowribbons,theStar-SpangledBanner,andpatrioticslogans.ItwasnotexceptionalhereinHopkinton,whichwasseeminglypeacefulitself.Intheyardofahousehechurch,Ifoundan

    oldjalopy,aChryslerDodge,withSADDAMpaihehood.othecar,ahammerlaced.ThinkthejalopyisSaddamHusseinandhammerituntilyoufeelsatisfied.Onehammeringwasonedollar.Withthecollectedmoney,Iheardtheyweregoingtoraisethefundsofthescholarshipfortheyoungstersiown.

    Idontknowwhohituponthisidea,butitwasratherpopularandevenwhileIwaswatg,severaltownpeoplepaidoeranotheronedollar,tookthehammer,andbahecarwithalltheirmight.IdoubtedwhetheritmightbeasuitablespectacleforthestartingtownofthedignifiedBostonMarathon,butitwasiable,Ithought,judgingfromthefactthatthistrywasatwar.

    ThisyearIvisitedHopkinton,thinkingthattherewouldntbesuchathinganymore.Buttomysurprise,asimilarcarlathesameplace.Icouldnothelpsuspegitwasthesamecar,fortheshapeanddamagedegreewasquitesimilartothatofthecarlastyear.Probablyitwasasimilarbutdifferechedfromsomewhere.Acarthathadbeenhammeredsoterriblylastyearcouldnotserveastheirbangingtargetagain.AnywayIfoundnomessagepaihehoodthisyear.Ahammeroitandasignboardsaying"OnePounding,OneDollar"onlyremindedmeoflastyear.Italsotold,justasIguessed,thatthecollectedmoneywastobeusedforthescholarship.Arunneraskedamiddleagedmanstandingaside"IsthisaJapaomobile?"Mumblingforaninstant,themanre