“The Gift”

Free Stock Photo from SXC

(Years ago, someone gifted me with the truth- you know who you are. Thank you.)

You were honest. Most of us were fine with that, as long as you stuck to telling the truth about yourself. I suspect you didn’t think it was fair to be the only transparent person in the room.When you pointed out how I frantically rearranged the living room furniture trying to make my pink elephants seem less conspicuous, I complained that your timing was all wrong. Not to mention your lack of tact. But, you were right, my elephants were stubborn: the element of surprise and ungracious manners were the only things that could have worked. Even while I was glaring at you for being the catalyst for the stampede of secrets wrecking my house I wanted to pat you on the back, bake your favorite cake, pin a medal to your hat. Damn, in those days I didn’t mention to people that their dysfunctions were peering at me from behind the curtains unless I was geographically unreachable. You’ve taken to keeping a nest of rasta hair and reading obscure philosophical treatises – for those trying to hide their “eccentricities” behind potted plants, you are still a disturbing presense balancing the truth on the tip of his tongue.

(Now I can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and settle down to read at Writer’s Island.)

Tags: gift, pink elephant, truth