The Back Story
Once upon a time ….. as recently as yesterday….. on the fringe of the Valley of the Brotherhood dwelled a wispy white-haired old woman. Her days were like those of the many who pass thru this world - busy from sunrise to sunset and beyond. In the accounting of days there always seemed to be slightly less time than needed to finish all that she set out to accomplish. If the universe hiccupped and minutes were added to the normal constraints of time, the unexpected always happened. Then those bonus minutes were used up too, with more needed. This was not too disturbing for a woman whose Days Past were Plentiful. It Was What it was, and Life was Good.
What few could know about this unassuming ma’am is that her days never started gradually. It’s as if when the sky opened its eyes to daylight there was an instantaneous awakening of the Demands placed on the old woman, each Demand speaking with greater Importance than the last one. Demands clamoring, she’d just smile and face her day, one Insistence at a time. It’s always good to have a New Day to begin.
There’s nothing extraordinary about the days of this woman. It’s the time before Daylight, before Dawn, before the First Hint of the sunrise that was a bit unique. That’s when this story truly begins.
And So The Story Goes
image copyright 2013 Steven Stone
It is during the blackest hour of the night, when Darkness is battling Light for domination of the skies, that this wispy woman finds Herself walking. She finds Harmony with every step. The more she walks, the more invisible she becomes to those around her. Each day the early workers in the Valley of the Brotherhood create an artificial sunrise with their halo headlights streaming on the highway. As she moves along at a different pace Old Woman is invisible and unseen by them. Except for the wispy-flighted barn Owl, even the animals are not consciously aware of the passing of Old Woman. She is Invisible to most.
Over time Old Woman has allowed her sounds to be as invisible as her body. Blinded by darkness she has become more sensitized. The Air, in turn, has also become more accommodating to her Passage. As she walks air currents part and flow around her, giving minimal resistance or pressure. She walks in darkness and silence, acknowledging the efforts of the Air to ease her way. She has become Wispy.
You would think that invisibility and blindness in the Darkness would diminish this Old Woman. Not so. This Wispiness adds a whole other dimension and depth to her life. With it comes a more astute relationship with the animals. It didn’t take long for the King Boar, in his blue-tinted bristles, to acknowledge the passing of Wispy Old Woman each morning.
Pigs are known to be very intelligent, and extremely well-read creatures. The Minion Pigs, in the hierarchy, are actually among the most intellectual of beings. Thru service to others they are Humbled. In being dedicated Minions they find their mental powers strengthened. Communication and Conversation with Wispy Old Woman became a part of their morning pleasures. She enjoys their Time together as well.
There came to be a time when birds began to recognize that Dawn would soon follow Wispy Old Woman’s steps. With her passing, one by one, they fluff up & preen. Then they sing their songs to the Awakening day. Old Woman has become very sensitive to their Melodies. In them she recognizes many familiar tunes sung less honestly by humans on the radio. Each bird has a unique voice & tune. Old Woman finds great heart-lifting joy in this Gift of Music. As they sing they fly around happily. Their sound permeates the air currents. In response, Wispy Old Woman Connects by Dancing.
One day the Wispy Old Woman expressed her gratitude to the Pigs (for their intellectually stimulating conversations) and Birds (for their heart touching songs) with “thank you” gifts. These gifts were unique charms for each one, in rainbow colors, worn on delicate elf-made necklaces. The Unexpected Pleasure for the Wispy Old Woman was that the jewel tones of their gifts seemed to generate their own light. As the pigs sounded and birds sang and danced, in the soon to be forgotten darkness, each Charm sparked Lightning bright. The Darkness was still dark. The approaching Dawn was still pale. The jewel colors are Intensely Alive.
Each evening Old Woman goes to bed wrapped in the completion of another day. She rests in peaceful sleep. She knows that during her morning hour of predawn darkness she will find Joy. It gives her quiet strength to meet the Demands and Time-consuming tasks of the days ahead.
As recently as yesterday Wispy Old Woman Lived on the Fringe of the Valley of the Brotherhood. She Danced in jewel-studded darkness, feeding her own intellect with a heart beating to the rhythm of familiar songs.
Now A Change
Today she followed her pre-dawn ritual of being invisible, whispering thru the darkness, anticipating the king boar & minion pigs dialog, and then hearing the familiar songs. Most of all she looked forward to the rainbow sparks of light, with the life & joy they bring. She knew that before dawn her Dance would generate just enough energy to face the demands of her day. On this day there was darkness, as usual.
Then ...
….. she realized…..
……there was Nothing…..
The pigs quiet. The birds still. No jewel tones spiking thru the darkness. Nothing. It didn’t take long for the old woman, with all her sensitivities, to realize that her creature Friends and their Treasures were GONE! She could not find them! Even the air was silent and unmoving.
Seek To Find
Today this wispy white haired old woman is stepping outside her Invisibility to ask your help. Can you find the pigs & birds? Can you figure out what has happened to them? Has a Sorcerer cast a magic spell?
Their disappearance is just a bit more of a Demand than she can handle. Absence of Intellect creates Darkness beyond Dark. Loss of Song Deafens a Heart. Without Movement of Dance there is no Air to Breathe.
As you find evidence, no matter how insignificant it may seem, please record it here. Please tell the story of your search, and the results. Even a sketch, posted as an image, would be helpful. Does the answer hide in the words of your favorite book?
If you are Lucky maybe your reward will be Intellectual conversation with King Boar and the Minion Pigs, or to have your Heart caressed with a Peaceful Easy feeling Heard in the Melodies of the Birds. Perhaps you’ll bear Witness the Gift of Jewel-toned Light, and find yourself in a Dance. Perhaps you’ll experience a Wispy walk in the comfort of darkness.
I truly believe our shared efforts
can coax them back to the
Darkness Before Dawn world
of the Wispy White Haired Old Woman.
___ What A Wonderful World on This Side of the Rainbow!