My Little Storymaker & Me

I woke up early one morning and had the virtuous thought to go swimming. Hearing the rain outside I grabbed an umbrella and crept out while the family slept on.

Outside, the normally bustling city was quiet. I felt not a little proud to have got up so early and to have come prepared. I opened the umbrella and stepped confidently out.

A few minutes in, the poor umbrella started to fail. Half of it buckled under the fat raindrops. Never mind, I thought. It’ll still keep me mostly dry.

A little later I started to feel the rain running down my back. Oh well, I said to myself, no real bother. I can just dry myself off with the towel later.

Shortly after, I noticed the towel itself was heavy. Looking down, I saw that it too was soaked. Never mind, I cheered myself, I’m going swimming – I’m going to get wet anyway!

Arriving at the pool thoroughly sopping, I saw a notice on the front gate: “Pool closed today for renovation”.

Clothes hanging heavy, shoes squelching, I felt crushed. It was like a cruel joke. After being so virtuous, this was my reward! What kind of karma is this?

I turned back, grumpily dumping the useless umbrella along the way. The miserable rain responded by getting heavier. I felt aggrieved, jaded, foolish.

What possible good can I take from this?  I tried hard to come up with another story to make sense of it all. This time, nothing. Halfway home, I finally broke. Okay, I thought, I give up!

Then I smiled. The absurdity hit me. I saw myself. The real me and the storymaker.

The real me fancied going swimming but couldn’t and got wet. The storymaker wanted virtuous brownie points: points for getting up early, for the intention of going swimming, for bringing an umbrella, for not waking the others, for walking instead of catching the bus, and for staying cheerful in adversity.

The real me saw the storymaker and laughed.

I texted my wife, “Never made it to the pool. But had a good swim”.