elephant

It is difficult to see the world as it is sometimes. MS has been warping my reality, changing things, not especially in a way I particularly like.  I can put my mind to over coming, maybe better stated: stubbornly refusing to accept limitations, or I can try to go with the flow, better stated: listen to others view on the subject.

Each has its points. When I push, I end up exhausted and sometimes I even hurt my little self, yet I accomplish something. When I believe I cannot, or should not do something I end up pissed and/or frustrated but those around me worry less.

In the late 70’s I worked in a small appliance repair shop. The man who owned it had been in business over 30 years. It was an interesting place. The watermark line high up on the walls was from the 1955 flood. Scribbled on the bathroom wall in faded black there were two sayings – “purdy boy floyd was here” and below in red lettering “you can’t eat an elephant in one bite”.

The owner Ed had a theory that if you did not paint over something, never cleaned anything (yep dirt was good in Ed’s mind) than it was always there as a reminder a mark in time. He really was right, I did ask who Floyd was and found out he was a drunk that Ed sponsored and he scribbled on that wall when he got drunk again, stole the shops moneyand left town. Ed was right because he left the mark someone living still remembers about Floyd.

As for the elephant saying, that was Ed’s, he scribbled it there one day doing his thing. That it was best I not forget that saying because it was all he thought I needed to know to get along in the world. I have since heard different versions of the saying but Ed was right – I can eat an elephant in one bite.

My map of reality is warped, I tell yah, warped.