Impossible things

“Like Alice, I try to imagine six impossible things before breakfast,” she said.

“Why?” he said.

“For the exercise,” she said. “Imagining the impossible stretches the mind and doing it on an empty stomach helps the focus, if for no other reason than fear of remaining hungry if I fail.”

Various

“I never know what to put on forms which ask for my occupation so I’ve started putting various,” she said. “It’s true and it makes me feel enigmatic.”

“But I’m going to have to come up with something a little more concrete for customs and immigration, they don’t appreciate mystery.”

Waiting for signs

 

I used to wait for a sign, she said, before I did anything. Then one night I had a dream & an angel in black tights came to me and said, You can start any time now & then I said is this a sign? & the angel started laughing & I work up.

Now I think the whole world is filled with signs but if there’s no laughter I know they’re not for me.

Story People by Brian Andreas

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Song & dance

“People keep telling me not to make a song and dance about little things,” she said.

“But the world would be a much better place with more singing and dancing and if I practise with the little things I’ll be fit and prepared for any bigger ones that come along.”

Imagine

“When they say if you can imagine it, you can do it, they were wrong,” he said. “After all I can’t fly unaided.”

“Well you’re right but that doesn’t make them wrong,” she said. “You just have to be a little less literal and concrete with your imagining.”

Self praise

“Grandma always said that self-praise is no praise,” he said.

“When I asked her what she meant, she said if you have to tell people how good you are then you aren’t.”

Half glass

“You’re a glass half-full woman,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said. “Though I don’t think the fullness or otherwise of your glass matters too much providing you emptied it willingly, enjoyed doing it and you’re able to fill it again.”

“All of which proves me right,” he said.

Stepping stones

“If you put your mistakes down,” she said. “You can use them as stepping stone and walk over them.”

“What if they’re too big or slippery? he said.

“That’s when you ask someone who cares to hold your hand and help you,” she said.

Today

“Do you know what day it is?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said. “It’s today.”

“I know that, but which one?” he said.

“There’s only one,” she said.”This one, any of the others are yesterdays or tomorrows.”

“Ah well,” he said. “If there’s only one and it’s lasting all day we’d best be making the most of it.”

Happily

“D’ya reckon it’s possible to marry and live happily ever after like in a fairy tale,” he asked?

“Oh yes,” she said. “As long as you don’t pay too much attention to the times when real life intrudes on the fantasy.”

Unlazy Monday

“Lazy Sunday’s, don’t ya Love them?” she said.

“Oh yes,” he said. “But they’d be even better if they weren’t followed by unlazy Mondays.”

Ignorant

“Ignorant, arrogant, what’s the difference?” he said.

“You can be ignorant without being arrogant,” she said. “But I’d take a lot of convincing that you can be arrogant without being ignorant.”

Others’ worries

“What other people think is their worry,” he said. “Unless they happen to be right in which case you might want to take them more seriously.”

“But how do you know whether they’re right or not?” she said.

“You don’t always,” he said. “It’s a matter of judgement.”

“Doesn’t that apply when they’re wrong too?” she said.

“Of course,” he said. “That’s why it’s best to leave them to worry about their thoughts so you’re free to concentrate on your own.”

Fast

“It’s May already? Where did the first four months go?”

“I’m not sure where they went, but I do know how they went -  far faster than most of the items on my to-do list.”

Tired creativity

“Trying to look on the bright side of exhaustion,” she said. “Any mother will tell you it makes you more creative.

“If only because you don’t have any energy for thinking so you just get on with doing and feeling without tripping over your thoughts.”

Weeds

“If weeds are just plants in the wrong place,” she said, “Where’s the right place?”

“I’d like to think it’s someone else’s garden,” he said, “but that doesn’t keep them away from mine.”

 

Deliberation

“You said you were going to do that ages ago,” she said.

“I did and I am,” he said. “But it’s not the sort of job to start without due deliberation.”

“Deliberation’s all well and good,” she said. “But too much of it begins to look like procrastination.”

Postive affirmations

From Story People by Brian Andreas

Remembering to forget

“Forgive and forget,” he said. “If it’s that easy to say, how hard can it be to do?”

“I have no trouble remembering to forgive,” she said. “It’s remembering to forget that trips me up.”

Patchwork quilt

“People talk about life’s rich tapestry,” she said. “But I think it’s more a patchwork quilt, stitched together from memories.

“There’s the bright and glorious ones that stand out. Others are quite worn and faded from use.

“There’s some that appear to be the wrong pattern or don’t seem to fit but they’re still part of what made us who we are.”