Bruce's New Companion

 A Letter from June Bassemir

Dear Bruce,

Your new hobby received this Christmas of an expensive drone sounds like an exciting one. Richard tells me that a friend of his bought the exact same model drone as you have and that he can even program it to follow him on his long walks.  If you can do the same, I suggest you give your drone a name like: “Freddie” since he will become your companion on extended hot evenings.  You might even have to put his name and address on the base somewhere in case he becomes inoperable some time.  It could say:  “Hi my name is Freddie and I live with Bruce Tuthill in Baiting Hollow, FL  Please see that I get home.”  After those long walks “Freddie” will have to rest so I hope you have provided a special parking spot in your garage where he can wait until his next outing. 

There is a problem however that I am not sure you are aware of right now and that is: I wonder if this new companion will override your faithful loving wife who will have to sit at home and wait for you and “Freddie” to come back from your tender walks in the evening.  I guess she could always join the two of you but she might feel that she is barging in?  Perhaps you should rethink this new companionship.

Of course, if  “Freddie” is out sometime and not living up to the honor system of viewing, the Drone Police might come knocking at your door.  And then you might have to engage a high priced Drone Lawyer to defend poor “Freddie” in the event he is incarcerated on a minor infraction of being somewhere where he shouldn't be.  The listing of Drone lawyers in the classified (if there is still a classified) will become a definite need and a new branch of study for young men and women in colleges will be worth looking into.

We might also need a social register with the names of male and female drones because surely there will be other companions with names like “Sally” or “Olivia” or “Lucy”.  Of course, their flying about could become a problem for you, so I suggest a firm control with definite flight patterns planned on a weekly basis.  One other thing:   I realize that space is unlimited but let's talk about drone traffic.  Do you forsee problems in that area?  What happens if  “Freddie” and “Olivia” collide?  Will that break up the friendship?          

                June Tuthill Bassemir is the widowed mother of four and grandmother of ten.  An artist and writer, she  volunteers as a docent in a 1765 farm house.   June loves old cars and antiques, and has also enjoyed furniture stripping and rug hooking.  "I used to say I was a stripper and hooker.but with so many trips around the sun, no one raises an eyebrow anymore. They only laugh."  June has given up furniture stripping, but is still an avid rug hooker.