Understanding

Our first Writer's Ink group of 2017.  Our assignment for this month was to begin with - 'Just tell me why you did that……' The following is my offering for today. I had fun writing this bit of dialogue this morning.

Understanding

“Just tell me why you did that. I really don’t understand and I would like to.”

“I threw the lamp across the room because I am so frustrated with getting old!!!” Myrtle was sitting on the floor with a colourful box of tissues, wiping her eyes.

“But throwing things is what children and teenagers do. Have you lost your mind or are you just regressing into your second childhood?!” Her daughter, Sophie, was scared. Scared and feeling helpless.

“Neither.” Myrtle blew her nose and tried to land a the tissue in the wastebasket. “See, I’m too old to even hit even a wastebasket anymore.”

“Well then, why, mom? Do I need to take you to a doctor to see if there’s anything wrong? You’re on the floor? Did you fall?” Sophie had never seen her mom like this.

“No, I don’t want to see a doctor. I didn’t fall. And I really don’t want to talk about it.”

“Good heavens! How can I help you if you don’t tell me how I can fix things for you?”

“Oh, honey. You can’t fix things for me unless you have a magic wand to reverse aging - including your own. It’s just that, sometimes, the principles that I’ve lived by and believed in, have become as invisible and ancient as I feel. And yet our world is dealing with all the same problems that I just know I could fix.”

“Will I ever understand what you’re going through?”

“Oh, you will, but not today. I remember having this same conversation with your grandfather when I was your age. Only he didn’t throw a lamp. He kicked his vintage Oldsmobile. He loved that car. The rest of us kids couldn’t even touch it without his permission. Anyway, we had the same conversation. Now I know what he was feeling and you will too at some point in your own growing up.”

“Growing up? I thought we were talking about aging?” Now Sophie was really concerned and confused.

“Well, sweetie, aging is just another phase in the growing up process - just a different bunch of numbers.”

“So. Let me get this straight. When I was a kid and I threw something and I broke it, you gave me hell and told me to grow up. So I did as I was told, at least in front of you and dad, and stopped throwing things. Now you’re throwing things and said you’re just growing up? Are you sure you don’t need to see some kind of doctor?”

“Well I don’t know any good broken lamp doctors, and I really did a good job on this one, didn’t I?” Myrtle smiled. Deep inside, and a bit shamefully, she was amused at her poor daughter’s reactions.

“So what’s the moral, mom? You always have a moral - that’s one of your principles.”

“Here it is: If the lamp is broke, don’t even try to fix it. Go shopping for a new one………...

Sophie finished her mother’s sentence……"…..and get over it. Just grow up.”

“Growing up, I have discovered over time, 

is rather like housework; never finished.”

~ Lois McMaster Bujold