This is not a "Simply Fictional Tale." This is merely meandering . . .
I laughed when Bugs Bunny said, "walk this way," and some other character copied his haphazard walk. I laughed harder when Eyegore in Young Frankenstein said it also to Dr. Frankenstein, who imitated his limp in order to "walk this way." Aerosmith sang those words also when I was in Junior High, or was it grade school? Doesn't matter, I thought it was cool.
Now . . .
I don't want anyone telling me to "walk this way." I'm not certain that I ever did. Sure I thought it was funny, thought it sounded cool before. Heck, I didn't really know when I was a kid -- I couldn't verbalize what I felt. But I felt it. I felt: don't tell me to "walk this way!" Why? Because I can't! It feels awkward, it feels wrong.
Thing is . . . or rather, problem is, it's always been said: WALK THIS WAY! The Greeks said it to Socrates, and because he wouldn't, he had to drink the poisonous hemlock. The Pharisees said it to Jesus, and because he wouldn't, he had to carry his own cross to be crucified upon. Martin Luther lucked out when he nailed his 95 theses upon the Catholic Church doors. John Calvin wasn't so fortunate. Neither was Martin Luther King, Jr.
I laughed when Bugs Bunny said, "walk this way," and some other character copied his haphazard walk. I laughed harder when Eyegore in Young Frankenstein said it also to Dr. Frankenstein, who imitated his limp in order to "walk this way." Aerosmith sang those words also when I was in Junior High, or was it grade school? Doesn't matter, I thought it was cool.
Now . . .
I don't want anyone telling me to "walk this way." I'm not certain that I ever did. Sure I thought it was funny, thought it sounded cool before. Heck, I didn't really know when I was a kid -- I couldn't verbalize what I felt. But I felt it. I felt: don't tell me to "walk this way!" Why? Because I can't! It feels awkward, it feels wrong.
Thing is . . . or rather, problem is, it's always been said: WALK THIS WAY! The Greeks said it to Socrates, and because he wouldn't, he had to drink the poisonous hemlock. The Pharisees said it to Jesus, and because he wouldn't, he had to carry his own cross to be crucified upon. Martin Luther lucked out when he nailed his 95 theses upon the Catholic Church doors. John Calvin wasn't so fortunate. Neither was Martin Luther King, Jr.
I cannot put myself anywhere near the people mentioned above, and even countless others. But I can say: I CANNOT walk this way. I have never been able to walk this way! And I suspect this is true for most people. They just don't want to say it. Isn't it so much easier to say, okay, sure, I can walk that way? It's easier than being branded a rebel, an outcast, nerd, a geek, an idiot.
Easier yes -- but as far as I know, we only grace this earth once (perhaps more, but I'm not gonna count on that -- and besides that -- so what if we visit more than once, we certainly have no recall of other lives here). So, why not go ahead and refuse to imitate that limp? Run if you want to. Heck, how about skip? Or even gallop? This is your life after all, give it YOUR best. And don't care whether you can walk this way! Run even if you're too big or too old. Carry a spare pair of shoes on your hands if you feel like it. Embrace a dorky picture of yourself. Wear white open-toed sandals in the winter! Trot down to the store, run down to the store, crawl down to the store, drive your S.U.V. down to the store (if you are so lucky) and forget about walking this way!
Easier yes -- but as far as I know, we only grace this earth once (perhaps more, but I'm not gonna count on that -- and besides that -- so what if we visit more than once, we certainly have no recall of other lives here). So, why not go ahead and refuse to imitate that limp? Run if you want to. Heck, how about skip? Or even gallop? This is your life after all, give it YOUR best. And don't care whether you can walk this way! Run even if you're too big or too old. Carry a spare pair of shoes on your hands if you feel like it. Embrace a dorky picture of yourself. Wear white open-toed sandals in the winter! Trot down to the store, run down to the store, crawl down to the store, drive your S.U.V. down to the store (if you are so lucky) and forget about walking this way!
(c) Lauren D. H. Miertschin (As if it needs to be (c)! I'm not sure that anyone's reading these blogs. Prove me wrong, and feel free to comment, especially on the fiction : )))))
In some ways, it is easier to "walk this way" because then you don't have to take responsibility for yourself. You don't have to decide to be different. You don't really have to think. You can just "go with the flow" and not have to go through the labor of thrashing out your own path in this mysterious wilderness we call life. But, when you walk someone else's walk, or place your feet in someone else's tracks in the path of life, you do lose something. You lose your inner explorer and your creativity. More importantly, you lose your authenticity and become a carbon copy of a "generic" person's self (if there is such a thing as a generic person) rather than your true self. When you lose your authenticity, it can be a relief because you become invisible and less subject to criticism. But perhaps there's a cost to this type of hiding because you're not being you -- and, if you believe that Gd created you, then you should be who you truly are to honor Him (even if you don't have courage to embrace your higher self for your own sake). Of course, walking your own walk, down your own path, and embracing yourself as a creation of Gd is MUCH easier said than done!
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