On the Cusp of Hallow's Eve

 

Sometimes, I have to be careful when I open my eyes.

Everything changes.

I swear Elizabeth Warren is President of the United States. I swear I'm physically fit, that I look no more than 35, that my hair has only a tinge of grey. I swear I'm living near Portland, Oregon. I swear that my acting resume is one of the most varied and envied entries on IMDb. 

I swear that my parents are still alive. I swear that my children are preteens living at home. I swear that we have Medicare For All.

I swear that Alison just whispered, "Get off the bed." I swear I heard a knock on the door. I swear that something has crashed in the house - a shattered glass, a knick-knack, a stack of books.

I swear all this and more. And then I open my eyes.

President Warren never happened. Instead, we are in the grips of an orange grifter madman. I'm 71, and I can feel my age, and my hair is fully white. I live in Blackshear, Georgia - one of the most Tumpy places in the entire world. My acting resume is community theatre, which I do less and less often.

My parents are gone, in body but not in spirit. My children are grown, but they are well, happy, and thriving. Universal healthcare does not exist, and that, my friends, is sad beyond all measure.

Alison did not whisper to me. She is there, by my side, and we are soon to celebrate 30 years of marriage. Pixie is here, and so are Scout and Gemma. Nothing crashed in the house, except for those things Gemma pushes off tables and furniture.

I open my eyes. It's soon Halloween. There are many scary things.

It's tempting to keep your eyes closed. But then you would also miss the beautiful things in life. And despite the darkness, there is light worth seeing. There is love worth finding and participating in.

It's only when I open my eyes that I can seek out and get warmed by the light.