Wow. I've cried tears of joy only twice in my life. Once, when I saved my mom's life, and today. Sure, today's reason may seem shallow, but you would only think that if you didn't have all the facts.
My Step-dad let himself die in October, throwing my mother in California into heart-rending despair. I wanted so bad to be there for her, but I'm on the wrong side of the country. My best friend in AZ died in December. I found out in January, the same day my big-shot Fortune 500 company laid me off after 18 mos.
This stupid company doesn't hire temps for at least two years. If that's not illegal, it should be. Six months as a temp, no problem. Eighteen months is emasculating and demeaning. After we helped them exceed their fiscal year quota, establish half a dozen HUGE name customers, earn their maximum possible bonuses, branch off into their own company, open a larger state-of-the art facility, and have it operational a week ahead of schedule. Then, to repay us, after bragging about their status, they lay off all the temps...
My new job. They allowed me to take a week off to go to San Diego for our close friend's wedding. I'd only been with them 3 weeks. I got back this week. So did the owner. He said they really appreciate me and that I've already proven how good a worker I am. They plan to hire me on within a few weeks, in the meantime, they've demanded that the DIFFERENT temp agency is to give me a 20% raise. TWENTY PERCENT. Damn.
That made me smile. But it's Tuesday. So the boss comes back up to me and says: "That raise, it's effective as of yesterday." Now I was grinning. So what made me cry?
HA HA HA! I got a SECOND phone call from my old "assignment" asking me to return; they're bringing back all their temps. I've never acted on the desire to tell an employer to KISS MY ASS until today. So, life is decent after all.
I lost a friend and gained a brother. Lost an "assignment" and got a "position". Revisited my old home and reaffirmed my convictions--my faith, my family, my future career.
On the way home, traffic wasn't bad--for ONCE. As I was cruising down the "express"way a BIT over the speed limit, I saw a Trooper going the other way and imagined getting pulled over for speeding. I just started laughing. Until I cried.
Aww. I'm such a tender heart...
<( | )> = <( | )>
The Beating...
The speeding feet in the pounding rain. The perpetual beat of a heart. Pounding blood. There is a cave in my heart.
Stepping out of the rain, into the shadows, the noise transitions from the wash of the cloudburst to the flow of your anxious blood. Then to the pounding of your heart. It's so loud. Terrifying, yet trusted.
The roar is overwhelmed by the beating. The beating of dark membranes. You have disturbed them. You are enveloped by their plethora of leather-silk wings. Neither bird nor beast, the ostracized. Bats. After they have settled, you see the moonlight reflected in two tapetums. The truth in those eyes, is it familiar to you? Or should you be frightened? How many lives has this creature lived?
Come in, friend. Step closer, enemy. You were washed by the rain, rinsed by the darkness, dried by the wings, and clothed. By a purpose.
Am I a panther? Am I the dusk?
Stepping out of the rain, into the shadows, the noise transitions from the wash of the cloudburst to the flow of your anxious blood. Then to the pounding of your heart. It's so loud. Terrifying, yet trusted.
The roar is overwhelmed by the beating. The beating of dark membranes. You have disturbed them. You are enveloped by their plethora of leather-silk wings. Neither bird nor beast, the ostracized. Bats. After they have settled, you see the moonlight reflected in two tapetums. The truth in those eyes, is it familiar to you? Or should you be frightened? How many lives has this creature lived?
Come in, friend. Step closer, enemy. You were washed by the rain, rinsed by the darkness, dried by the wings, and clothed. By a purpose.
Am I a panther? Am I the dusk?
THE PLAN for Labels
CHARACTERS are influential people in my tales.
BROWN is tales from a span of ages.
WHITE is tales from age 0-7.
RED is tales from age 8-14.
ORANGE is tales from age 14-21.
YELLOW is tales from age 22-28.
GREEN is tales from age 29-35.
BLUE is tales from age 36-42.
INDIGO is tales from age 43-49.
PURPLE is tales from age 50-56.
BLACK is tales from age 57-63.
Grey is an insight into how these tales may be affecting me.
BROWN is tales from a span of ages.
WHITE is tales from age 0-7.
RED is tales from age 8-14.
ORANGE is tales from age 14-21.
YELLOW is tales from age 22-28.
GREEN is tales from age 29-35.
BLUE is tales from age 36-42.
INDIGO is tales from age 43-49.
PURPLE is tales from age 50-56.
BLACK is tales from age 57-63.
Grey is an insight into how these tales may be affecting me.
Blog Archive
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Kicking the Pennies
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Congratulations! That's excellent news.