There's a time in our childhood life where we're told about the "scary" things that could happen if we swallow it. Some of these things are more unreal than others and are blown off, others seem so real, especially when you're 3 years old, that you get so scared you crap yourself. When the moment of truth comes and down it goes, time slowing as you forget about that tasty object in your mouth, absently, out of habit, mistaking it for food, sliding down your throat with late realization slapping you in your face. The time seems to have slowed to the pace of a death march, and then it's done. You have triggered your worst fears of gum. There goes a perfectly good life, wasted because of carelessness. As you've probably figured it out, I did just that. I swallowed my nightlock, a time bomb the size of a pill. But before you leave, here's where I get to ask for you to stay. Let's bring it back to the beginning though, most stories seem to work better that way. When I was a toddler it was just my Dad and I living together, so we moved around a few times. My dad also had another son who stayed with his biological mother in California. Every now and te we would go down there to visit him for a bit. One of these visits in particular had a interseting turn of events. It was scary at the time, but now , every time Iook back on it I cant help but lagh a little bit. My Dad and I were on the road down to Cali, and it was after dinner time, dinner being a kids meal from McDonalds, the sun was setting and my Dad pulls out a pack of Extra Peppermint Gum. I look and watch as he puts a stick of blue mysterious wonder in his mouth, wishing I too had one. I ask im for a piece and he hands me a piece, showing me how to unwrap it, knowing I would just eat it with the foil, and tells me some of the dangers to swallowing it being the fact I was only 3 at the time. I listen and do as he says intently making sure to not miss one thing. Finally the beautiful peppermint flavor splashes across my toungue as I take the first bite into a whole new, yet dangerous world. As the sun sets we're cruising on the rod looking for a rest stop, our eyes dropping, him trying to be safe about it, and me hardly trying because I was too focused on not swallowing my tiny, blue, factory of deadly, yet heavenly flavor making properties. The sun had finally set and the night was upon us, when we had finally found one. My Dad woke me up and we got out of the truck headed straight for the garbage can, our gum having ceased to make it's devine flavors. As we drew closer to the can realization hit me like a punch to the face. I had oficially signed my death warrant. I had swalowed my gum. Trembling as we came closer, I watched my Father spit his gum out. My turn came and having swallowed it, made an attempt to mask it by spitting pure saliva into the can. Doing this only had one shot, you either had a good enough sized ball of spit escape your mouth or you didn't. Halfway from my mouth o the can, my nightmare became worse. It was not big enough. Trying to hide it I start walking to the bathrom when my Dad asks why I didn't spit my gum out. I stopped dead in my tracs and turned around like I was an innocent in a horror movie, trning around to find the preadator right behind them. I was terrified of my father's yelling at the time so I wished the gum started working before I had to spit the truth out. It didn't happen. Crying, I turned to him and attempted to force the words out of my mouth, failing halfway through my sentence. He finished it for me. Scared of any following events, I frantically, in my toddler voice, apollogise so much my brain hit the loop switch. After calming me down, he just shakes his head in dissapointment, tells me not to do it again and takes my wee little hand, guiding me to the bathroom on legs of jello. Once we were back int the truck I ask him if I was going to die. He looked at me and laughed, telling me it won't kill me, and that those things were said to help make sure I didn't swallow any of it. I immediatley felt better, and closed my eyes to the best-in-the-truck nap ever.
Every year we make resolutions to help ourselves improve. We make resolutions so we can feel better about ourselves, to "look better". To me resolutions are pointless, mainstream, time-wasting, whatever you want to call it. Why? Because we make these "life gols" and hardly ever follow through with them. We last about a few weeks or a month, but harldy ever a full year. For people who hate change, like me, it's even harder. It can become extremely difficult to follow through with just one reslution. So I decided to play with these resolutions and cme up with just one. Getting a job. I figured that if I get a job, I'll be more motivated to pass my classes, I'll want to work on getting my drivers license. If I do those maybe I'll be more considerate of how I spend my money. Well the opportunity came for me to apply for a job and I did. I got hired on the spot. I got to work parking/traffic at the Blazers vs Warriors game on Friday. I'm already considering just saving my first paycheck for gas money and food (at work). By doing that one little resolution I am able to do a lot of little things that will make for a bigger future ahead of me. I still don't like making resolutions but making little ones like that can help anyone a lot!
|
Archives
April 2016
Categories |