"The King of Hearts"

“When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.”

            ~Mark Twain

Mr. Clemens was definitely correct with this one.  The problem is knowing when we’re mad and when we’re not.  One of those many paradoxes in life---if you think that you’re mad, then you’re not.  I guess I’m still sane , at least for a while.

There was a great movie in the 60’s called “The King of Hearts.” The plot went like this: During World War I, the Germans were abandoning a village in France to the advancing British army, and the retreating Germans planted bombs around the town to blow up the English as they entered.  Naturally, the citizens panicked and fled the town as well, and as they left someone unlocked the gates of the asylum for the insane, figuring they wouldn’t let them die either.

The inmates didn’t leave the asylum right away, but when they did they didn’t flee---they wandered around town and became the new “citizens” when the first British scout entered the village to see if it was safe. He thought they were the “normal” occupants, but just a little strange. :-)  When he finally realized who they were, he accepted them for what they were, and when the rest of the British army came into town, he figured it was better to be insane than to get back into the insanity they called the war.  So, he joined the inmates back in the asylum and lived happily ever after.

I guess all the mysteries of life had disappeared for him.