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I wanted a deer fly to bite her.

Now you know what a no good dirty rotten sinner I am.

She was sitting in front of me at the Marlboro music festival and I was sitting next to a cute lady from the "Greatest Generation" who was sporting a darling page-boy hair cut. The lady in front of me was sporting an attitude.

She turned to the lady during the intermission and told her to stop crinkling her program. "You are so rude,"she told the 'page boy'd-anyone-would-want-as-a-grandma' next to me.

My sweet aisle-mate lowered her head and put the program down in her lap. What Grace under fire. I wanted to shout, "She is not shredding the NY times, for pity's sake!" But instead, the thought of those summer flies that bite viciously and help me understand why deer are so skittish-came to mind.

I know it was wrong, but the thought grew and I began glancing hopefully around the concert barn. I did not wish her harm so much as I wished she would have to react to the bite and live out being truly "rude" during a concert.

I managed to calm down and even apologized to God for such thoughts. I thanked him for Grace, sitting next to me, who sat stone still for the rest of the concert and modeled for me such gracious acquiescence.

The concert ended and Grace stood to applaud the very deserving young genius musicians. Ms. Attitude stood and left, never putting her hands together even once for the musicians. The picture of one large ugly deer fly, right on the nape of her neck came back to my mind again.

There goes my halo slipping again.