- Theodore Roethke
Alternate title: "No 'Amen,' because I am not done praying."
(Last Sunday my class asked me to pray - and then laughed hysterically because I forgot and instead of saying "amen," I said "OK, God, I'll talk to you later.")
Today I got a pair of stripey teal underwear (why is irrelevant, so don't ask me). I know that isn't the sort of thing you're supposed to announce to the world, but I just had to, because it has a funny sequel. Apparently, there's an absurdly-colored-underwear dance (says a friend who probably wants her name to remain unassociated with this conversation). When you (or a really really close friend) acquires a pair of silly underpants, you are supposed to do a dance (wow, if I'd left out that parenthetical phrase, that would be in iambs. Catchy first line for a kids poem, don't you think?). How does it happen that I've gone through twenty years of life and no one ever told me about the absurdly-colored-underwear dance before? I feel like my eyes have been opened to something new and wonderful (and so very, very odd).
Someday, I swear, I'll act completely like a grown-up and not get quite so tickled at the thought of things like absurdly-colored-underwear dances, or kids' books, or ridiculous rhymes. Just not quite yet. I hope that's OK with everyone. Right now I'm going to avoid responsibility with all my might, like if I could avoid the responsibility of packing I could avoid the absolute terror of leaving for Italy next Friday. I know it will be great, and I know that once I get there I will love it, and I know that somewhere inside I am also terribly excited, but I am primarily just shaking in my boots.
Good thing I got new boots and I look darn attractive in them.
"I'm trying to use humor to help me face adversity. You know that famous photo of the Chinese protestor standing in front of that column of tanks? I bet he was making silly faces at them."
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4 comments:
Now I'll never look at that picture the same way. Do you remember Markie the Unicorn? CPT members would carry around this beanie baby rainbow unicorn in their pockets or on their shoulders and talk to him to diffuse situations. "You know, Markie, these soldiers won't let the kids go to school. Yeah, I agree it's dumb. But what are we going to tell them? Oh, so you think we should..."
*laughs*
And we influenced your praying style, I think. ;-)
And you have fun underwear. I've never done that dance either. I think. But it sounds like I should next time. I have done the "twirl the new underwear around on your finger because it's so cool" dance. Also the "hang Vee's bra on the ceiling fan and watch it fly off when you pull the lobster"...well, that wasn't a dance.
Missing you in icy Grantham,
Ruth
Let's admit it... I propogated the underwear dance. In my defense, my sister did it first.
Ooh! A dance! Exciting. :) Also, I like your alternative amen. A lot, for which people should not laugh at you.
Wow, I never had heard of Markie the Unicorn. That rocks, though. You guys definitely influenced my praying style for the better.
At least 50 points for propagating the underwear dance. I'm so entertained by it that I want to wear my odd-colored underwear every day so that when I dance I'm secretly doing the underwear dance.
I think I'm becoming OK with people laughing at me. They don't mean it in a cruel way, it just is a little absurd, I guess.
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