Lamp Light

Lamp Light

*It’s amazing what a little lamp light can do. Trevor had been sitting alone in his ‘man cave’ feeling lost and completely out in left field. He had been fired. Only some of the household bills had been paid. His family had left him alone. He felt they had left him forever. But they were only on a planned holiday.  His wife, Mary and their two kids, Matt and Stephen. Away on a camping trip. They didn’t know about him being fired. It happened after they had gone. Happy and cheering, with Spike, their terrier, yipping and yapping.  ‘We’re going to the lake!!! Yay!! Too bad you have to work, dad!!! Love you!!’ Lots of hugs and kisses from his boys and a big, big kiss from Mary. He had gone to work after they left. Long enough to learn that his job was redundant. He emptied what little he had from his locker and just came home. In shock. 

It had been hours that he had been sitting. Only up once to go to the bathroom. Stood up like an old man. Felt weak and tired and he was only thirty two years old. As the day's light dimmed, he just wanted to sleep but his mind wouldn’t shut off. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to take care of his family? He stayed slumped in his chair. He dozed. 

His mind must have kept whirling because when he woke up in the total darkness of his sanctuary, his man cave, he was still worrying. He stretched his arm slowly out to the lamp, just about knocking it over, and switched it on.

All he could see, staring him in the face, was his diploma from University. A Degree in Agriculture. And here he was in the city. Suit and tie jobs. He smiled. Going into university, his young 20 something self had a vision of an organic farm. Small, with vegetables and bee hives, fruit trees and wild flowers, but something he could manage, where he could provide for his family and community. Student loans prevented him from starting on that dream. He always put it off and put it off just trying to keep things together. But he had never stopped long enough to see the dream again.

Trevor sat up slowly. Leaned forward and with elbows on his knees, his chin on his clasped hands. He began to plan for the future.

“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and 
no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”

~ Gautama Buddha,  Sayings of Buddha

*From Random first lines: writingexercises.co.uk