George
                                                 by Bob Denison

Note: This skit illustrates what is really important in life. It runs about 5 minutes.

(Lights on. GEORGE, in his early twenties, dressed in work clothes, is seated at a small table reading the newspaper. Paper is spread out over the table.)

WIFE:            (offstage) George, are you reading the obituaries again? That's
                      sick!
GEORGE:      (looking up from paper) No it's not! You find out what's
                      important to people. What they spent their life doing.
                      (starts reading again) (to himself) Here's an interesting one.
                      (continues acting as though he were the one reading, even
                      though VOICE is doing the reading)
VOICE:          (offstage) John Terry...age 74...graduate of University of 
                     Tennessee...spent his career in manufacturing management
                      jobs in Ohio, Illinois, and Tennessee...coached baseball,
                      basketball, and softball... a very special father who spent his
                      entire life loving, teaching, coaching, influencing, and making
                      life special for his four children and his wife whom he loved
                      unconditionally.
GEORGE:      (to himself) Now there is someone who did something with
                      his life. (begins reading again) What's this? (continues 
                      reading)
VOICE:          (offstage) Jesus of Nazareth...age 33...never held a
                      job...never married...seemed to cause trouble wherever he
                      went, although some people said he helped them...tried to
                      tell everyone how they were supposed to live their life.
GEORGE:      (to himself) What a wasted life!
WIFE:            (offstage) George, aren't you supposed to be mowing the
                      lawn?
GEORGE:    (grabbing the paper and rushing offstage) Yes, dear!

(Lights off- they stay off longer than usual.)

(Lights on. WIFE, in her sixties or seventies, dressed in funeral clothes, walks slowly and dejectedly onstage, places a small funeral flower arrangement on the table and slowly walks offstage.)

VOICE:          (after pause) George...age 68...had good jobs...was a good
                      husband and father...did some charity work...a good 
                      man...never went to church...never thought about God...or
                      Jesus...(pause)...a wasted life.
(Lights off)