FALL ... one of my favorite seasons. The world seems to be bedding down ... the heat of summer over ... the leaves putting on a great show of color. I love it.
When prices FALL ... especially those associated with that ever more precious fluid, gasoline ... well, I like that, too.
FALL in love? Did that ... still there, and I’m still lovin’ it. Wouldn’t trade that state of mind for anything.
When snowflakes FALL ... that gentle sifting down which makes it seem that they’re dancing in the street lights ... love that, too.
When raindrops FALL with a soft pitter-patter against the window pane ... well, it’s hard to beat that kind of lullaby.
-S&G-
But when I FALL ... that’s a different story.
And I don’t mean like stepping on a banana peel and doing an unexpected cartwheel before a select group of spectators.
I mean like a FALL ... a boomp-boomp-BOOMP! ... real FALL down the steps of a stairway ... or even a half-dozen steps to another level in the museum ... or even THREE steps in a darkened hallway.
I’ve done ‘em all ... at a motel ... in an art museum ... here at home. You name it, I’ve done it. I think I may have been a stunt man in another life ... or maybe I’m intended to be that in another.
I do seem to have become something of a specialist ... without even coming close to being an expert in the pursuit.
-S&G-
Let me explain.
Phyllis and I were leaving the house the other day ... she was in front ... in case there were any tigers or other wild animals lurking about ... and I was following obediently behind.
We were going out the back entrance to Brimm Manor ... in order to reach the company of The Little Red Car more quickly and be on our way.
Phyllis descended the back steps gracefully ... as she always does ... I, on the other hand, took one step and almost passed her on the way down.
What I had failed to see was about a dime’s worth of ice clinging to the leading edge of that step on which I placed my weight.
Everything happened so quickly that not a single detail of my very detailed life flashed before my eyes. Instead, I found myself bouncing along at a rather steep angle, landing in a heap (I must admit that it felt like a heap of broken bones) at the bottom of the steps.
I heard Phyllis gasp ... and I thought I heard Little Red mutter something like, “Well ... I never!”
Nothing was broken, it turns out ... but I felt like I’d been kicked by a Missouri mule ... in the right hand, on my right forearm, and on my ... shall we say ... right hip. Unlike some of my previous falls, I didn’t butt the steps with my head this time.
I guess I AM becoming more expert. After all, I’ve had a lot of practice.
-S&G-
One of those “practice” sessions involved missing a step, and going whomp-whomp-WHOMP down the steps at the Dayton Art Institute ... and, mind you, staying on my feet all the way down. I was a little disappointed that the crowd didn’t applaud that performance.
Another time, same place, different audience ... I wasn’t so lucky. That time I really folded ... and startled the guards, who, it seems, weren’t accustomed to seeing a bleeding patron of the arts.
-S&G-
TODAY’S QUOTE: “Sometimes I feel like throwing in the towel - but, for the life of me, I can’t remember where I put it.” - Professor Squigglee
-S&G-
LOREE (Kansas), responding to last week’s installment: “I particularly liked two words that jumped out and grabbed me ... “velcro memory” ... I never thought of it that way, but it is so true ... we can no longer multi-task at our ages ... think of two things at once? Ah, for the good old days!”
-S&G-
“I doubt that many people do ‘darkness’ well,” LOREE says. “And as I age, it gets easier to make a near-fatal mistake in the dark. Loved the poem about darkness, which got me to thinking about all the causes of darkness.”
“Like Monday evening, I sat down at the computer, turned it on, and had the intention of enjoying a relaxing few minutes by reading S&G. NOT to happen!
“I clicked on the desktop shortcut, and got an ever so cold message that informed me my internet connection had failed. Still quite calm, I clicked on the refresh button. Again the same message.
“I shut completely down, started all over ... and nothing changed.
“Now panic set in ... in the midst of panic, terror, anger ... hurt! My emotions ran the gamut ... not a single one left out of my feelings.
“With trembling fingers, I searched until I found the brochure that I had gotten in the mail a few months ago. Somewhere in that brochure, in the fine print, was the phone number for contacting them.
“After managing to dial (911 would have been easier!) ... a voice told me, ‘Please leave a message! Our regular office hours are eight to five.’
“It was 5:45!
“Miracle of miracles ... the phone rang a couple of hours later ... (and there was a voice) explaining that they had a problem in my area, and that they were working on it, and hoped to restore service shortly.
“The next morning I fortified myself with coffee and sat down to this machine and turned it on ... fully expecting that they had worked their magic some time during the night ... while I had slept fitfully. Not the case, though ... still no connection.
“It was just after five on the SECOND day when service was finally restored. Please ... no more ‘darkness’ ... I can’t handle any more until I recuperate!”
-S&G-
TODAY’S POEM ... I thought, since the topic of the day seems to be FALL, we might do with a fall ... or autumn, if you will ... poem.
Perhaps the images, written about so wistfully, will have little meaning to others, but to me they are the essence of things I miss about that place where I grew up.
I think it is quite natural that we have this connection with our beginnings, and quite natural that we should think of them again ... and again ... as we look back and see just how far we've traveled in all these years.
Thank goodness for that "bridge of memories." I often go strolling across it.
The poem:
AUTUMN NIGHT
Stars spilled
across dark velvet,
thin ribbon of smoke
climbing the air,
lettuce-crisp, clear,
toward a lemon moon,
square of window
whispering its light
through the trees,
beckoning to me,
wanderer still,
with only a bridge
of memories
to carry me back.
(originally published in Explorer)
-S&G-
COMMENT? Feel free ... below, if you like.
Or if you prefer e-mail, that's fine, too ... especially for more detailed observations, to
rbrimm@peoplepc.com
... and it helps if you put "Squiggles" or "S&G" ... something like that ... in the subject line (just remember, no religion or politics ... please!)
-S&G-
Oh, and if you’d like to see what’s up with my other ... DAILY blog
... here’s a link to it:
http://rbrimm.blogspot.com/
Thanks for paying a visit.
-S&G-
UNTIL NEXT TIME ... take care ... see ya!
-S&G-
© 2010
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