There have been so many stories shared in the Liar’s Lounge over the years, that it has become difficult to decipher truth from fiction, but as I was once told by my grandfather: “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story!” Well, when a story is told, believing it usually comes from two crucial elements. Either the truth is so fantastic that you just cannot make a story like that up, or the storyteller has the gift to reel it in to absolute belief. Now we have all heard stories that just did not seem believable until the facts were shared to substantiate the story and then we have heard these tales told by the teller with absolute sincerity that start rumors and quips that just do not quit! It has been my recent experience to forewarn the ears of complicity not to distrust every story ever told, but to remember the Liar’s Lounge is a place where badgers will do their best to negate the truth in the effort to harness humor and impart humility. The listener must take responsibility for participating in the perpetuation of such nonsense. With that said, we will begin our first story of how one can be taken in with such pure trust that it only makes it that much more hilarious when the story is recited again weeks later.
Two fellas come into the shop, one a regular customer and another never seen before as he sits in a wheelchair without his legs. This being a military community, such a sight has become common and as the conversation begins, it is common to speak of the topic as to what become of you and your situation as we talk about fishing and other topics. – The friendly customer had never been known to spin a tale proceeds to explain that just a few weeks ago he and his friend had been to the coast fishing and landed a Tiger Shark that had become gamy once on the deck and his friend was unfortunate to be too close to the beast as it bit his legs below the kneecaps. We are in a tackle shop, and they are here to introduce his friend to the less dangerous sport of freshwater fishing. To be in a tackle shop so soon after a tragic experience elevates this guy’s interest in fishing to a whole ‘nother level! Wanting to set him up with all the best equipment we can offer him to be successful in his passion, I showed him the tackle that he should start out with. Converting a salty to a bass fishing opens many opportunities since bass fishing is such a complex endeavor. Learning to bass fish takes time but also takes money. AS a salesman, I do have a conscience and, he had already been taken down to the knees recently, so at this point, I’m just interested in cultivating a long-term returning customer.
Well, as the story continues, his friend comes back into the store weeks later to share with the proprietor that they had hook-winked Bob into believing this fantastic story about the shark. Over those several weeks, not only I, but the owner shared this story with many others as a topic of conversation. Upon hearing the truth, we both began to shed hotdogs off the back of our necks that could convert our bass fishing shop into a catfish bait shop. WE live fishing and the Liar’s Lounge is here to remind us to be wary of such stories because it is for others to share the deceptive tales and for us to revile in their plausible accreditation until exposed by others; however, this time was not to be the case as the sign over the Liar’s Lounge door was slanted in a way to catch the ears of the those that pass by it several times daily. This goes to show that even those that have heard it all are not protected from humility if it has been presented by the badger.
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