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“If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive.”
—Barry Lopez
(as Badger, in Crow and Weasel)

 

To be nobody but yourself -- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you like everybody else -- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.
- e. e. cummings

 

Not a Single Drop

----- My friend and I spent many hours of our lives sitting in darkened theater staring at images flickering on a silver screen. I don't recall very many of the movies we saw, but I do recall two separate occasions when everything else took a backseat to the events that happened prior to the start of the feature presentation.
----- Each instance occurred under similar circumstances as I made my way into the theatre and awaited the arrival of my hungry and thirsty friend. The first found me sitting in the middle of a very crowded row. When we first arrived, it was empty, but by the time my friend made his was back to the seating area, arms full of food and drink, the row was full, the theatre was dark, and the previews had begun. When he arrived at our row, he began making his way to the center, trying hard not to step on anyone’s toes or crown anyone with a cold drink.
----- I will never forget hearing him approaching, whispering repeatedly, “excuse me, excuse me, excuse, me…” As he got closer, I could here the plea for pardon more clearly. Then much to my surprise he said the same to me, then to the person beside me, and then to the person beside him. He must have gone on past me for six or seven people before I got his attention and he realized his mistake. As he began his backtrack journey, virtually the entire audience burst into laughter. Neither of us wanted to show our face at movies’ end.
----- The second occurrence stands as one of the funniest moments in my life, though I have to admit it certainly falls in the “you had to be there” category. Still, it bears telling. On this occasion, the theatre was nowhere near as crowded and the lights were still on as I awaited his return. I thought I heard a slight commotion on the aisle behind me just before he arrived at our seats. I was correct, for as he came to sit down beside me with an unusually enormous soft drink in his hands, I noticed he was laughing. Then, in a very boastful tone he told me the story.
----- “I was walking down the aisle and I dropped my coke. It hit the floor and just stood up. It didn’t spill a drop, NOT A SINGLE DROP!” And then, as if on cue, exactly as he said the word “drop,” Whoooooosh! The entire bottom fell out of the cup and into his lap.
----- I don’t think we saw a bit of the movie for the endless laughter that ensued.

© 2004 The Trill House