|
|
funsway Inner circle old things in new ways - new things in old ways 9982 Posts |
Some may not see the relevance to mentalism and magic in general. Just enjoy then my experience yesterday.
Socilies There are truths to be learned from strangers. Friends – not of much. Seems that the more a person thinks they know you, the more they want to change some imagined character fault, or tell you what they think you want to hear. A complete stranger has no platform from which to launch lies, or any need too. No, casual strangers often speak up from boredom or lonely, and there is always truth in that. Of course, there are few who have a proposition to offer or want to get close to pick your pocket. A different truth. Social Distancing has changed all that. At least it seems that way here in a hospital waiting room with ‘six foot’ lines taped on the floor. Every other chair has a “don’t sit” sign on it and every separated individual wears a mask. We have all had “close encounter” conversations with strangers on planes or a bus – maybe even a park bench or line at a deli. There is a certain freedom in chatting with a person you will never see again. No need to posture or disassemble or any challenge to remember a previous conversation or debt or falsehood. My dad once quipped that the longer you talk with someone, the greater the chance of saying something stupid. No problem with strangers. They can either ignore you or easily forget the encounter or words. With these masks on you can’t even be sure if they are listening to you at all. Even better, you will never know if you do meet them in the future under different circumstances. More freedom. Greater chance for truth. Any comments you make will be heard by several people since distancing does not allow of whispers. Not sure if that enhances truth, but does minimize profanity and bullying and soliciting and pick-pockets. Now, these observations might be accurate for any setting of folks gathered on seats – a church or airport as examples. The difference is that at a hospital people will follow the distancing rules or be thrown out. They may be in this room from obligation or fear but never by plan or chance. Here there is a vulnerability and innocence of simple humanity, of shared wants and needs not found in a mall or Facebook. Less pretense too in dress and makeup. I notice that fewer folks are using cellphones than typical of a bus stop or restaurant. Perhaps the mask muffles the tiny microphone. Some may have forgotten their phone is a dash to the emergency room. A few might feel that idle chatter is out of place, or have a new found respect for other’s grief or fear. I muse that they are afraid of questions that might be asked if they call someone. That is a common bond, I feel. No one here has any answers. We all wait for a loud announcement call back into a tiny curtained alcove with dangling tubes and flickering lights and smells and whimpers. We may find some answer not wanted or questions never asked before. So, we wait in silence – fellow travelers on a journey to but never from. There might be a lot of truth here. I would listen if a stranger should speak. So would you. I chose to break the silence. I allowed my cane to slip from my fingers and clatter to the floor. Rat-a-tat! It might have been a woodpecker outside the window. No one moved from their chair. Yes, I should have properly used “his” or “his/her,” but the masks … One man started to reach out, then glanced around to identify ownership of the cane first. Two women looked at me with knowing eyes, having probably noticed my limping approach earlier. A couple of sitters stared forward as if nothing had occurred. In their focused concern it had not. I sat up straighter and leaned forward, non-verbally providing a clue as to ownership of the cane. Six pairs of eyes followed my extended hand. I did not have to see these eyes to sense their attention and interest. Experience has shown that most folks will respect a disability by allowing a person to help himself. If I had cried out in pain several might have leapt up to fetch the cane. If I had asked for help most would have glanced around for an orderly or at the person closest to me. But, as long as I was making an effort to help myself I would be allowed to. It is my delusion, perhaps. It is possible they think a disability is contagious or are momentarily frozen by fears of their own potential infirmity. There might be a Covid fear of touching this unclean object. Had we all been closely jammed together in yesteryear’s sardine can mentality there might have been different reactions. Today a cane on the floor is a halfway reach to a stranger and a poignant reminder of the forced social distancing. I spoke aloud. “Did any of you play spin the bottle when you were kids?” Laugher! An unidentifiable male voice offered, “Looks more like a spinner in a board game.” A giggling female joined it. “It isn’t pointing to me, that’s for sure.” Then there was silence for a while as I half stood and reached for the cane. As I grasped it several voices spoke at once as if a spell had been broken. I raised the carved branch and gently gestured to one of the masked figures on an opposing chair. She asked, “What kind of wood is that? Did you make it yourself?” I just held up the short staff for all to see and caressed its pits and whorls with my thumb. As if on cue my name was called – at least a mispronounced version to which I alone responded. I rose and nodded to no one in particular. A glance around revealed a small man in green beaconing me to side door. I started in that direction, then paused and swept the small group with smiling eyes. Each of eight people met my gaze with confidence – fleeting, now gone forever. Compassion, hope, envy or prayer? No matter. There is truth in all of these and no need to know. Strangers. No silence, though. Several were talking to new found friends as I passed into the inner rooms and a new world.
"the more one pretends at magic, the more awe and wonder will be found in real life." Arnold Furst
eBooks at https://www.lybrary.com/ken-muller-m-579928.html questions at ken@eversway.com |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Penny for your thoughts » » A Social Distancing story (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.03 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |