“Twelve years ago, while on my way to a hiking trip in South Texas, I struck a Great Horned Owl when it suddenly flew up from a ditch beside the road. It was a fatal blow. I felt bad about that poor old owl. Later that weekend I had occasion to travel across the border into Mexico. At a ‘junk shop’ in the local market I found a small stone statue of an owl for a few dollars and decided to purchase it in memory of the owl I inadvertently struck with my truck. Over the next few months, other opportunities presented themselves to purchase inexpensive ‘owl statues’, so I opted to acquire more “fetishes” in honor of the deceased Great Horned Owl I clobbered. The venture soon got out of hand. Family and friends began to give me owls, and over the years, the collection has taken over one complete bookcase in my office. At last count, I possessed over 231 representations of owls and other memorabilia relating to owls. I have attempted to control my addiction and no treatment center will accept me as a patient. I have no idea what I am ever going to do with all of these damn owls. Mysteriously, the collection seems to grow without my direct involvement. If you know of any charitable organizations who need any owls or any qualified treatment centers for my problem, please let me know. I believe I have met my obligation to the spirit of the owl I destroyed, yet my ‘owl altar’ seems to grow.” –Ken Law