Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Add It Up



Once when I was visiting sunnier climes than Detroit, I gave money to a legless man in a wheelchair adorned by flags. He sat in the same place by the post office across from the trailerpark where he lived. I'd sometimes see him wheel over to his post and hang out. I felt bad whenever I saw him -- some internal voice kept saying, You have legs. Go over and say hi, loser. I don't know if this is how God talks to everyone, but there you have it. So I did -- I went over and started a conversation, overpaid for a flag that I did not take as I couldn't see myself walking around with a big old honking flag all day, and told him I was from Detroit. "God," he said. "That place seems really depressing."

I had to laugh -- here was a legless dude in a flag-adorned wheelchair telling me that Detroit and my life there sounded depressing?! I couldn't believe it. I feel anxious a lot. Defeated, occasionally. Out of place, often. But depressed, well, seldom. On my desk, there's a postcard of Marilyn Monroe drawing a heart in the sand. It will wash away, sure, there's that. But she looks so happy drawing it, the whole ocean behind her that you can't see, full of secrets, beauty, danger. One can only imagine what the tide will bring.

Michelle's Spell of the Day
"A thing is not necessarily true because badly uttered, nor false because spoken magnificently." Saint Augustine

Cocktail Hour
Drinking short story collection suggestion: Don't Cry Mary Gaitskill

Benedictions and Maledictions
Happy Tuesday!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Save our city, O Isys!!!--J Leno CGULL

Scott said...

Michelle,

"...full of secrets, beauty, and danger"...sounds a bit like you! :)

Hope your week is going well!

the walking man said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
the walking man said...

The ocean can't wash away what never was drawn in the sand or never existed.

jodi said...

Hi Sweetie, I am currently looking at the ocean and enjoying my coffee. Depression isn't WHERE you are physically, but mentally. xo

Charles Gramlich said...

A good lesson to be learned here. I'll have to give some thought to the idea of live in the moment happiness as opposed to striving for long-term happiness.

Anonymous said...

Detroit has the least expensive real estate in the country right now. You can get a structurally sound house for about $15K!

What's not to like?

Anonymous said...

Something new from Mary Gaitskill? I loved the book, "Because They Wanted To" Any favorites in her new one?

Whitenoise said...

We find beauty in unexpected places. Sometimes we're the only ones who find it.

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