Upon receiving news and idle chit-chat from friends back home (or back in their homes), I had the curious sensation of Rapunzel. Trapped in her tower, watching the world go by, letting her hair down at measured intervals, hoping a passing prince would grab on and come to her rescue. Yes, I realize that is not exactly how Rapunzel goes but you know what I’m saying. It’s as if everyone I know, which is undoubtedly an exaggeration, is leading a life moving in a forward trajectory, and I’m orbiting the same sun.
Out a window.
There is some physics metaphor here; perhaps I should have not gotten a C. Without an outside force to act on my path I will follow the same orbit, give or take an asteroid or two. Meanwhile, their lives move ahead, impacted by outside forces: new people, new opportunities, new places, bigger asteroids. My path is constant and cyclical. Change is just not in the stars.
I’ll let my hair down but no prince will come along, and so I’ll stay in my tower until, like Rapunzel, my time comes and I’ve had it with my wicked witch, and I’ll be my own outside force. Jump!
2 comments
Karen says:
Mar 3, 2012
The toddler slowly approached the top of the stairs. She peered down, as if calculating the angle of descent. She awkwardly turned and crawled away, stopped, and backed up, peering all the while over her shoulder to gauge her distance from the point of descent. When she reached the top of the staircase, she inhaled, as though to suck in courage, and made her way down the steps, with the deliberation and confidence of someone who can sense the prize. She crawled down without hesitation, listening to her limbs as they felt each step, until—she was there. Standing, grin (and some relief) spreading across her face, she headed off toward whatever lay ahead.
Karen says:
Mar 3, 2012
A True Story
One late spring day after lunch, Mommy took Big Sister, Middle Sister and Baby out to burn off some spring fever. It was Baby’s nap time but even Mommy couldn’t resist the call of the lovely afternoon. They found themselves on the playground at Wilshire Park which was no surprise. Big Sister settled on the swings and Baby started to nod off in Mommy’s arms.
Middle Sister worked her way out along the cross bars with Mommy standing nearby cradling Baby as he began to doze. Middle Sister loved the feeling of hanging in the air unattached to anything except by her hands. With a determined look on her face, slowly and deliberately she progressed out into the center. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she crossed the halfway point and halted. “Mommy! Catch me, I’m going to drop.” “It’s okay, just jump down if you can’t get any further.” “I can’t,” she wailed, “I’m scared.” “I can’t catch you right now but I’ll be standing right here as you jump.” With a deep breath, Middle Sister let go and dropped to the ground. “Wahhhhhhhh. Mommy! It hurts!.” cried Middle Sister as she sat up in the bark dust with her arm hanging slightly askew. “Oh dear. You’ll be okay. Let’s get you home and to the doctor,” Mommy said worriedly as Baby started to fuss as well. Mommy gathered up the three—Baby in the stroller, Middle Sister holding Mommy’s hand while crying and sniffling the 3 blocks home while Big Sister mumbled and whined about having to leave the park.
Once home, Mommy called Daddy at worked explaining what happened and asked him to come home from work early to take Middle Sister to the doctor’s (they had only one car which Daddy took to work each day).
Six weeks later, on a summer morning the three children and Mommy headed out to play, ending up as usual at the playground at Wilshire Park. Middle Sister no longer had a cast on her arm and felt light and airy without it. As typically happened, Big Sister headed to the swings and Mommy helped Baby slide down the bottom of the slide. Middle Sister roamed among the apparatus, eyeing the cross bars but not quite ready. The other items just weren’t as much fun. Big Sister always bumped her too hard on the see-saw and refused to spin Middle Sister on the merry-go-round. Swings and slides were unexciting. Middle Sister headed to the cross bars. After a moment’s hesitation, she climbed the steps and started across. About three-quarters of the way across, she hollered, “Mommy, catch me! Pleeeez! I’m scared to jump.” But Mommy said, “Nope, you can get yourself out of there. Either keep going across or jump. I’ll be right here.” Middle Sister screwed up her face crying, “I can’t go to the end I’m TOO TIRED!” then she let go and dropped to the ground……..then Middle Sister dusted off the bark dust and ran over to the swings to join Big Sister.