I Have, I Have Never

True and true.

I have hiked through the National Parks of the U.S. Southwest, but you have not.

I have not played a high school varsity sport, but you have.

True and true.

I have swam in all 5 Great Lakes but you have not.

I have never been to Hawaii but you have.

True and true (swam in Huron, waded in Ontario, dipped fingers/toes in Erie & Michigan, never seen Superior; been to Hawaii twice)

I have been to Africa but you have not

I have never owned an amphibian or reptile but you have

True and false (but Madame P. had a baby alligator as a child)

I have successfully impersonated Dr. Demento but you have not.

I have never been outside the U.S. of A., but you have.

True and true.

I have been to 4 continents in 4 days, but you have not.

I have never been psychoanalyzed, but you have.

False and false.

I have edited a poetry anthology and you have not.

I have never used opioids for fun and you have.

True and false.

I have helped butcher out a pig and you have not.

I have never been fingerprinted, even one finger, and you have.

True and true.

I have eaten fire in a circus and you have not.

I have never had a ferret and you have.

True and false.

I have identified a dozen violins as being fake Stradivariuses and you have not.

I have never played a violin and you have.

True and false.

I have witnessed an autopsy and you have not.

I have never lived in a home with more than one bathroom and you have.

Yow. I just realized I claimed something that wasn’t true.

Some forty years ago, I was travelling around and took a temporary job on the other side of the country. When I went to cash my paycheck, the bank it was issued on wouldn’t cash it unless I let them take a fingerprint. I pointed out that it would do them no good because my fingerprints were nowhere on file. The clerk said they’d taken them when I got my driver’s license. I had my mouth open to say ‘Not in New York State they don’t!’ when I realized that was probably only going to result in their refusing to cash the check.

So somewhere in California, forty years ago, a bank had one of my fingerprints. I have no idea whether they’ve still got it, or whether that bank still exists (I don’t remember its name.)

Apologies for the hijack and for the error.

– hmm. try again.

True and true.

I have milked a goat (if badly) and you have not.

I have never had a Facebook account, and you have.

True and true.

I have been in a state Supreme Court while it was in session and you have not.
I have never spent more than one year living without a cat and you have.

True and true.

I have left a cell phone in a freezer and you have not.

I have not gone hunting and you have.

True and false.

I have gotten a perfect score on my SAT, but you have not.

I have not learned to drive until I was 30, but you have.

true and true

I brought a kayak to be destroyed at a wrestling event and you have not.

I have never won any prize from lottery tickets and you have.

True and false.

I have played violin on TV, but you have not.

I have never arranged a funeral, but you have.

True and false

I have served in the military, but you have not.

I have never eaten lobster, but you have.

True and true.

I have ridden in a horse show, but you have not.

I have never ridden a rollercoaster, but you have.

True and true

I have snapped off a wrist bone, but you have not.

I have never scuba dived, but you have.

True and false.

I have played 8 games of Scrabble at the same time, and you have not.

I have played Words with Friends, and so have you.