Take Care #242

In epic tales the possible destruction of a character, a place or a thing along with the tension that comes from the fear of that failure occurring, creates the “on the edge” feelings that encourage us to jump, breathe in or even scream right along with those personas as if it were happening to us. In fact, the bigger the chance of destruction the stronger our hope is that a win will materialize regardless of whatever invincible mystical creatures have to be battled or the moments where those individuals just want to turn the pages to easily move forth on their journeys. Great storytelling is the art of using words to transport us not just into other lives and places but into ourselves where there are pieces of us that actually make those characters so enduring. In other words, we connect with the fear, hope, anger, doubt, celebration and grief that those individuals go through, and unlike in our actual lives, those tales allow us to experience “flipping out” moments without having to live them. Why is it so much easier to understand, accept and be supportive of those sentiments when they occur in a book or a movie or a song but not when they are within us? Is it the inclusion of mythical creatures or a hero status or a poignant tune that makes it all right for those things to be expressed? Or is it that those feelings are allowable as long as they are not being used to expose who we are on the inside especially what makes us feel vulnerable? Some time ago I wrote about a young man named Trevor Garroutte who wrote the book “Stomping in Puddles” which is the story of his losing and finding his way when the plot twists in his life enfolded things he never imagined would be located along his trail. As a former army infantry medic, cancer survivor and homeless person, he is what we often envision a hero in an epic tale would embody and yet the things that went right didn’t mean or guarantee that he would never find himself in the weeds or up against challenges that would push him close to self-destruction. Trevor’s book contains only a section of his life’s journey but in it he’s candid about how he felt every step of the way through, over the land and within himself. There are no mystical creatures in his story and he certainly didn’t feel like a hero nor did he know exactly where he was going but in the end he found where he needed to be which was to show up in all the ways that he was living his life especially in the moments that he didn’t want and hurt. In the art of storytelling or in living a so very heavell life, the particulars about each of us matter and we get to decide how they will be portrayed as well as what their value is as they breathe within us and we can also change any or all of it as our field of view expands to see, feel and understand more. Take care with your words because if you only look one way at them, what you say about yourself will never be all that you really are or are capable of. Take care with your steps because what works for someone else may not be the best series of movements for you but go ahead and try it as a part of discovering what is your way. Take care of your heart because it’s the one place that you will always be home in no matter what location you find yourself in or who surrounds you on your circle. A little bit at a time take care of you because any type of dragon can be defeated but it won’t always be in the ways you have envisioned or want it to be. After all, you never imagined yourself here now did you? Have the best day POSSIBLE for you in this section of your life’s journey. Who knows, maybe today is the day that you will write a plot twist as a reminder for the real hero in your narrative that it is always all right to not always be all right, that you can be found and lost in every moment and that we walk hand in hand with fear as well as courage but it’s the direction that we look through that determines which one we feel so move your view if you need to. Oh hell, in some parts of your story boxes of tissues have been for your tears of pain but on the next page or in the next chapter, you are strong enough to change those things from the “f” moments whose outer-layer had seemed so invincible in the yesterdays into what you laugh about tomorrow. Can you visualize my giggling each time I go to pick up a foil dragon to cover my leftovers with as I feel Ryan’s bear hug around my heart? Yeah I never thought it was possible either but then I also didn’t realize that I was powerful enough to add yet another emotional definition to a word that had appeared to be completely defined until a different truth came into my view. Even if you are showing up late, take care of and be kind to the writer of your epic tale now. Love Always, Heavell