Monday, July 27, 2009

Close your eyes, so you can't be tempted...

"I wanted to say that I enjoy hanging out with you because I feel safe. It's been a while since I felt that way." "You're welcome..." 8 years, and nothing much has changed.

This morning's affairs brought new harrowed winds as I flew from station to station in the sports hall. "Relax, dear..." one of the volunteers said and laughed when I told her about the source of my distress. Oh boy. My first instinct was to tell myself that I was being unnecessarily dramatic - an unfortunately learned reaction. "So what if you are?" he would later ask over dinner, "It's who you are, and your friends would love and accept you for it." But I knew it already then and let myself go: to be as externally frazzled as I needed to be internally calm. And then a wonderous revalation: When I'm stressed, I laugh. A lot. And I like it.

So I found myself at the ICA booth without the required forms and passport photograph. Where do I get one? Over there, he said, pointing toward the end of the hall. I scout around and was directed toward the central library, forum, to the ends of the earth. "No, there's one right here" he said, pointing to this odd looking machine. It looked like a mental detector, one you'd find in an airport, it had a screen and a camera lense. OF COURSE! I step in and fiddle with the machinery. Insert card here... eye level here... why isn't the screen staying straight... "It isn't on", he said, and proceeded to flick a switch. At that moment, the screen comes to life and read: 36.6 C. I was trying to take a photo in a giant thermometer. I was directed to the photographer 3 feet away to my left.

I leave triumphant, in giggles. Later he tells me about his daughter, and I feel safe again. Calm does carry me through.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

HAHAHH! -glad