Falling

It’s funny if it isn’t you. Send in the video and make people laugh (I always wince. It’s funny until someone gets hurt). I even turned the light on first, (which I never do). While walking to the window, to open the blinds so the plant gets its sun, I stepped on the candle that holds the door open (it’s never stayed open, dunno why. Closed, it’s too stuffy). I have a pretty cloth on the beleaguered carpet, soft and oh so slippery. It didn’t help me find my footing.

My foot rolled on the candle and I came down hard, like a sack of potatoes,right above Doug’s head. He was at the computer, couldn’t quite figure what he’d heard but came to check on me (he’s a keeper). He helped me up. It might have been worse.

I tell these stories, as always, to connect me to my humanity (and yours). I don’t need pity or sympathy. Cautions to be more careful. We all fall. From the beginning, fallen. All of us in need of understanding (I still prefer to believe in “Original Innocence”).

I’ve been shamed for “over-sharing” (the term itself laden with lances. “What makes you think we care about your pain?”) I tell you this so you can simply send me love. So you can say to yourself, “That might have been me”, so you can be more carefully aware, so you can be more grateful. (So you can send me bubble wrap).

Stories are unique to being human. Birds and animals have stories, but they need us to write them. My life has been enriched by all these years as Swan-scribe. Rabbit-scribe. Now Little Dog-scribe (leave a pizza on the end table and they will eat it). We all love a good story. Even a horrific story is interesting. Fascinated by the details, we learn (no matter our current age) from knowing, watching, hearing of other’s ordeals: their struggles, sagas, journeys, lessons, paradoxes, challenges, triumphs, catastrophes, miracles.

A good story levels the playing field. Inspires, intrigues, seduces us. A good story helps us to the other side. Rows us closer to home. Amazing grace, I once was lost. Was blind but now I see. A good story can save us.

LBM 9/8/2023