A STORY. 53. WHO IS THIS PERSON I CALL ME?

Days have slipped by. One day after the other. Today, though, you’ve felt a strong pull to go to the old bookstore, with its little bell that tinkles when you open the door, with floorboards that creak as you walk on them, with the comfortable old easy chair in the nook.

You appreciate the quiet of the bookstore. You appreciate the words on the page. 

Finally you’re back.

You turn the handle with its sign OPEN. You hear the tinkle of the bell as you open the door. The woman is there at the cash, reading. You take a look at the title. I, CLAUDIUS. You vaguely remember the book. Crazy times in the Roman Empire. Poisonings. Jealousies. Rome burning. Not as disastrous as what is happening now - the whole world threatened. But pretty bad. The fate of an empire hanging on … what? Plotting and counter-plotting. The power of a few evil-doers. People mad, insane. 

But that’s not what you’ve come for.

Soon you’re sitting where you enjoy sitting, holding MOMENTS. You open to the table of contents.

You Think That You Know

Stop … Wait … Go …

Who Is This Person I Call Me? 

I Hate Ironing

More Fun When You’re Two 

They each pull you just a bit. You also hate ironing. In fact, you don’t do any ironing, can’t remember when you last did any.

But I Hate Ironing isn’t what pulls you most. You keep coming back to

Who Is This Person I Call Me? 

You think about your life. Good question. Who is this person? 

https://elsasemporium.com/this-person-i-call-me.html

every day is flowing
     into another
          going
who knows where?
who knows where?
who knows where my life will lead?
who is this person I call me?

Your life has done quite some flowing along, and yet you still ask yourself. What next? And who are you, really?

And what would your childhood self think about your life as it’s happened? Grownup life - so different from childhood imaginings.

But there is that other thing. Where will you be going, from here? 

every day I’m going
          into the day not knowing
what kind of day
          this day will be
I dream of glory
     like in a story
what will I do?
     what will be my story?
who will I be?
     this person I call me

every day is flowing
          into another
                    going

who knows where?
who knows where?
who knows where my life will lead?
who is this person I call me?

let there be glory

Not likely, you think. Glory. That’s quite something. But maybe, just maybe, a tiny sliver of glory. Somehow.

To be continued . . .
A STORY. 54. NOTHING TELLS EVERYTHING
https://elsaiselsa.substack.com/p/a-story-54-nothing-tells-everything

A STORY. ALL THE CHAPTERS ... UP TO NOW
https://elsaiselsa.substack.com/p/a-story-table-of-contents-up-to-now

Posted June 6, 2024