Superpowers

And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.

      - Antoine de Saint-Exupery 

 Ninety-nine percent of who you are is invisible and untouchable.     - Richard Buckminster Fuller

It's happening more and more often.  There's nothing I can do to prevent it.  Sometimes it happens as I am standing in line at the bank or paying for groceries.  (It almost always happens at public events or in public spaces.)  At first I thought it was my imagination - just a trick of the mind; a mistake, perhaps a misunderstanding ? After all, things like this don't happen to ordinary people. 

Wait a minute... who's ordinary???

Funny how we see our selves, isn't it ?  I, myself, am a mass of contradictions!  I am funny but very serious - and not to be taken lightly.  I have a few very rigid viewpoints, but I nearly always give one the benefit of the doubt.  I like socializing and I am interested in people and curious about how others think - yet I spend a great deal of time alone, by choice.  I think of myself as a "good" person who looks for the best in others, and yet has little faith in humanity...  Normal ? ...I suppose... Sane ? ...certainly... But I've never thought of myself as ordinary.  So why should it surprise me that I have developed superpowers...???

Yep.  It's true.  

I know how to become invisible.

Actually - I first became invisible and then I learned how to do it.  The first time, I was sitting in traffic, waiting to pull onto the main road.  Vehicles moved past, sometimes stopping right in front of me, but no one let me merge. No one smiled and waved me in as had always happened in the past. They didn't notice me... they couldn't see me...!  I had disappeared.   The next time it was a shopping trip to Quality Foods.  As I stood waiting to pay for my groceries. the cashier and bagger conversed and joked and rang up my order.  I smiled at one, and then the other; I held out my check - but neither even looked at me.  Without my presence being acknowledged in any way, I found myself back in the parking lot with my cart full of heavy grocery bags.  I was invisible.

The most recent time I disappeared was at my bank branch, located for my convenience in the grocery store lobby.  There were two tellers at their stations but one was on the phone, so a line had formed sort of halfway between the two as customers observed "next person waiting etiquette".  When the teller finished her phone conversation, she looked right through me to the store employee behind me and motioned for him to step up for service.  Wow.  Invisible again!! 

With all this evidence, I have to believe it's true.  And just like the "ordinary" people on that show: Heroes, I plan to step up to the challenge. I will continue to develop and hone my ability to disappear by wearing inauspicious clothing, no makeup and a blank expression  I shall continue to masquerade as just another bland,  unimportant, unassuming, and innocuous middle aged woman.  Those who never look will never see the pretty young woman inside me - the one who is well-read and hip and witty - the one who rescues ladybugs and horses and even tries to dodge butterflies.  They won't know how funny I am, or how kind I can be, or how much love I hold inside.   

They won't suspect that I am anything at all like them.

And little will they know, that I am developing another superpower...  telepathic X-ray vision.  Though they cannot see me, I can see right through them.  As I peer into their self-absorbed and indifferent minds, I plant little seeds... little thoughts... little bits of self'-doubt and self-realization.  I will them to see beyond their biases and assumptions.  I implore them to take stock of themselves and to question their perception of the world around them.  I champion the cause of fresh vision.  

I wish upon them the gifts of empathy and sympathy - for one day they too, will start to disappear.


     ( I posted this seven years ago.  I re-post it shamelessly to let everyone know that though you may catch a glimpse of me know and then, I continue to disappear.)

Detail of "A Singular Path"  mixed media piece by the author of this blog.

 

Theme Thursday... animals

This is my first thematic post, (find the other culprits here) and because it's animals, I just couldn't resist. I'm a total softie for animals, wishing I could make things better for them in general, and sharing my life and home with many over the years. I've never counted the number of cats and dogs I've rescued, saved, neutered, fostered and loved, but I know they add up to dozens and dozens and dozens. Birds and bunnies, horses and pooches, kittens and cats and even turtles, possums and squirrels have quartered with me at one time or another.




Those helpless little faces, those eyes begging for love and understanding. How could I not answer the call?








And today I wish to share a little secret: I also rescue homeless stuffed animals.



I know there are more of you out there who share my compassion for these, the cast-aside, the forgotten and forlorn. They number in the millions; helpless creatures once-treasured for their fine fake fur, silken ears and polyester-plumped little bellies, their bright glassy eyes now clouded with despair.



Stained with the tears of old sorrows, their hapless little faces peer hopefully from the shelves of thrift shops and second-hand stores. Their threadbare little limbs poke out of yard-sale boxes, tossed there with the callous indifference of capitalists bent on gleaning some further mean and meager sum - as if all their years of dedication were not enough penance...
















Never mind how they were there for us when we needed them: when we were frighted of the dark or when our hearts were broken, or when we needed someone to hug when no one understood. They listened without judgment or censure.

Like tokens of love from a now-defunct relationship, we are embarrassed now by their very presence in our domain. They remind us of our fragility; they frighten us with their knowledge of our deepest fears. And so they are scorned, cast away, abandoned, forsaken.



Here now are the faces of some of the wretched and forgotten.

See how their faces are careworn; etched with love passed on, tattered by disappointments and frayed with anxiety.

See how they ask for nothing except to be loved.

Can you turn away, unmoved?

Open your heart and your home to those who have served us well in our time of need. Hug an animal today... stuffed or otherwise...

(It'll be our little secret.)










Like the Velveteen Rabbit, it's the loving that makes it all real.

Superpowers...

“Ninety-nine percent of who you are is invisible and untouchable.”

Richard Buckminster Fuller

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

It's happening more and more often. It just comes over me and there's nothing I can do to prevent it. Sometimes it happens as I am standing in line at the bank or paying for groceries. (It almost always happens at public events or in public spaces.) At first I thought it was my imagination - just a trick of the mind; a mistake, perhaps a misunderstanding - after all, things like this don't happen to ordinary people.

Wait a minute... who's ordinary???

Funny how we see our selves, isn't it ? I, myself, am a mass of contradictions! I am funny but very serious - and not to be taken lightly... I have a few very rigid viewpoints, but I nearly always give one the benefit of the doubt. I like socializing and I am interested in people and curious about how others think - yet I spend a great deal of time alone, by choice. I think of myself as a "good" person who looks for the best in others, and yet has little faith in humanity... Normal ? ...I suppose... Sane ? ...certainly... But I've never thought of myself as ordinary. So why should it surprise me that I have developed superpowers...???

Yep. It's true. I know how to become invisible.

Actually - I first became invisible and then I learned how to do it. The first time I was sitting in traffic, waiting to pull onto the main road. Vehicles moved past, sometimes stopping right in front of me, but no one let me merge. No one smiled and waved me in as had always happened in the past. They didn't notice me... they couldn't see me... I had disappeared. The next time it was a shopping trip to Quality Foods. I stood waiting to pay for my groceries as the cashier and bagger conversed and joked and rang up my order. I smiled at one, and then the other; I held out my check - but neither even looked at me. Without acknowledging my presence in any way, they waved me out to the parking lot with my cart full of heavy grocery bags. I was invisible.

My most recent disappearance was at my bank branch, located for my convenience in the grocery store lobby. There were two tellers at their stations but one was on the phone, so a line had formed sort of halfway between the two as customers observed "next person waiting etiquette". When the teller finished her phone conversation, she looked right through me to the store employee behind me and motioned for him to step up for service. Wow. Invisible again!!

With all of this evidence,I have to believe it's true. And just like the "ordinary" people on that show: Heroes, I plan to step up to the challenge. Not only will I continue to develop and hone my ability to disappear by wearing inauspicious clothing, very little makeup and a benign expression - but by continuing to masquerade as just another bland, unimportant, unassuming, and innocuous middle aged woman. They'll never see the pretty young woman inside me - the one who is well-read and hip and witty... the one who rescues ladybugs and horses and even tries to dodge butterflies. They won't know how funny I am, or how kind I can be, or how much love I hold inside. They won't suspect that I am anything at all like them.

And little will they know, that I am developing another superpower... telepathic X-ray vision. Though they cannot see me, I can see right through them. As I peer into their self-absorbed and indifferent little minds, I plant little seeds... little thoughts... little bits of self'-doubt and self-realization. I will them to see beyond their biases and assumptions. I implore them to take stock of themselves and to question their perception of the world around them. I champion the cause of fresh vision. I wish upon them the gifts of empathy and sympathy - for one day they too, will start to disappear.

And finally; this: www.stephenrobinsculptor.com

I recently spoke with my first ex-husband, a sculptor, who still lives in Philadelphia. We talk often, but I don't know how much or what parts of each conversation he remembers. He suffers from more than the average (I think) memory loss, and it's difficult to know whether it is a natural part of the aging process or something more. He's a phenomenal artist and a really good person and I will always have a place for him in my heart. He teases me about not posting his website in any of my blogs - so I have decided to oblige him here. He may not remember a lot of what I say (another kind of invisibility?) but what is in print cannot be long forgotten. I hope you'll all visit his website. It's highly worthwhile.