A Childhood Moment

“How many of us can recall a childhood moment when we experienced happiness as a state of being? That single moment of untarnished joy? That moment when everything in our world, inside and out was alright? Everything was all right!”

--Professor Coreman (Hector and the Search for Happiness)

It was the summer of my 8th year

a beautiful summer morning

before it got too hot

pencil and paper in my hand

and a story in my head

excited, energized, thrilled, in fact

exquisitely happy,

I found a place to sit alone, in the sunshine

on a low wooden porch

outside the entrance to the living room

where no one would disturb me

as we never used that door,

I wrote the first paragraph.

Before I filled the page in my ruled tablet

I ran inside to share my excitement,

around to the side of the house, up three steps

onto the big porch, through the door

and formal dining room into the kitchen.

“Mommy, Mommy!”

It felt so very right and true

I had to say it out loud to make it real,

“I know what I am to be when I grow up!

I am going to be a writer!”

Using her very stern but calm voice, I heard

“Oh, but you have to be so careful

to never write anything

that will embarrass your family.!”

Struck numb as if lashed by a whip,

delight and joy draining out through my feet and into the basement

I turned away,

putting down paper and pencil.

End of story.