Photo: Alfred Schrock on Unsplash
Two years, and he could hardly remember how he’d managed to survive before.
The rush. The never ending tasks. The constant worry. The being pulled a million ways by demands and the dreams of others.
He’d run on fumes for months on end, then crash and burn in ways that hurt not only himself but also the ones whose lives were closest. All those bridges he’d burnt.
It was the last burnt bridge that had paradoxically saved him. It became a light from burning embers. He’d flown out to care for an ailing uncle, but in truth just to escape the consequences of another interpersonal disaster. He expected to discover his uncle, who’d been the family’s previous pariah, on death’s door. What he did not expect was to find him so content.
“Live here,” were his uncle’s last words. “Need little. Use less. The Keys saved me. Claim your turn.”
For What Pegman Saw: Florida Keys
Na'ama Yehuda 
right on….
that was a sweet to imagine the character maybe taking up residence and using less, needing little and finding that contentment
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May we all find a place – in the Keys or any place – where our soul can rest even as our lives continue.
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indeed –
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๐
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!ืืืง
ืืจืก ืขืฆืื ืื ืจืข…
…ืื ืืกืชืืจ ืฉืืืื ื ืืฉ ืืื ืืืคื ืชืคืงืื…ืืืื ืืืืื ืืืชื ืืจืืื
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ืืคืขืืื ืืฉืจืืืช ืืืืืฉื ืืืืกืจ ืชืืื ื ืขืฆืืืช ืืืืืืช ืืืืื ืืืงืื ืื ืืื, ืืืคืขืืื ืืฉื ื ืขืืืื ืืืืื ืืืืช ืืฉื ืืช ืืืืื ืืฆืืจื ืฉืืืคืฉืจืช ืฉืืงืื ืืืืืื ืืืฆืืืช ืืงืื ืืขืฆืืืืช ืฉืื ืืขืจืืช ืคืืืขื ืขืฆืืืช ื/ืื ืืืืจืื …
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!ืืกืืืื ืืืื
ืงื ืืฉืืื ืื ืื ืืืขืืื..ืืืคืฉืจ ืชืงืืื ืืืชืคืชืืืช..
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๐ Glad you find it to be this way!
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Na’ama Y’karah,
I tried in vain to read the Hebrew above. ๐ A word here and there. I still have trouble without those pesky vowels.
At any rate…his uncle had great words of wisdom. I wonder what made the uncle the pariah of the family, though. I felt the frenzy of the protagonist’s life melting into peace at the end. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Mine is here: https://rochellewisoff.com/2019/08/18/penance/
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Thank you, Rochelle! The Hebrew comment was on the realities of self-sabotage as a means for survival defenses, to which I’d replied that while that can happen when there is no insight (which indeed can lead into bad spots), there may sometimes be opportunities to correct course and find a path into healing that does not involve harm to self or others.
It seems that his uncle’s words sank in enough for him to make changes that allowed him peace of mind. Perhaps his uncle’s choices to take leave of the rush for material things had left him a pariah, or perhaps it was other’s misunderstanding of his choices as somehow selfish (or at the very least, not what others wanted their kids to emulate?) … but it seems he had found a measure of peace, which is more than many can say they had in their lives.
Glad you liked this!
Na’ama
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Sounds great to me. Well done.
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Thank you! ๐
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I think we all need to find a place where we can be content. It may not be too far from where we are. Maybe it is in our mind. Good job on the prompt, Na’ama.
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I agree, and I agree, and I agree. The mind is certainly a good place to start!
๐
And … thank you, John, for the kind praise!
Na’ama
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Calls ’em as I sees ’em. ๐
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๐
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I’m thinking the uncle was the pariah because he refused to conform to the “musts and shoulds” of life. Good for him. Maybe it’s not too late to teach his nephew.
I loved this.
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Me thinks you thinking is right on!
๐
Seems to me, the nephew has found a way to make peace within.
So glad you liked it!! ๐
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I have my moments ๐
Methinks you are right re the nephew ๐
I did. Very much so.
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๐ XOXO
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xoxo
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Nice title. Nice message. Slow down, for Pete’s sake!๐
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Uncle Pete knew what he was talkin’ about, eh? ๐
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I can vouch, the key to happiness is having less, wanting less, doing less. Just being
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Yep! ๐
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We are in accord ๐
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accord is better than discord! ๐
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Every time. I try not to do discord.
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๐
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Lovely opener, Na’ama. Are you going to take it further?
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Mayhaps one day … ๐
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I’m right there with you. Sounds great.
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Thank you! Here’s to happiness. And beaches.
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That last line is great. Sounds like his uncle had the key he needed all along. Too bad he didn’t learn that lesson before he burned so many bridges.
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Thank you, Joy.
Yes, it would’ve been easier, perhaps, if he’d learned this sooner. Though perhaps he wasn’t ready, and perhaps this was the exact right time to learn it, or accept it, or let it in … And … I hold hope that some bridges can be rebuilt, sometimes stronger and more secure than they were before. So who knows …
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Sometimes people change enough that they’re worth being friends with again, and sometimes they’ve just hurt people they cared about too much. Sounds like this fellow erred too hard on the second side too many times. But maybe he can regain his own sanity and peace, at least.
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Yes, that’s true. Not all bridges could (or should) be mended. Sometimes people have been hurt too much, and sometimes moving on is the better way of handling the wounding. I hope he finds a way to peace, and I hope that he finds a way to burning no more bridges. Great comment!
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Oh nice! Wish it was my uncle.
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I have me a feeling he would not be a pariah to you if he had been your uncle. … ๐
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Oh! What a delightfully peaceful ending to your well written tale.
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Thank you, Alicia! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! ๐ Na’ama
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