Monday, January 18, 2010

knocking holes in the darkness

Friday was a bad day. The big trial that Sugar Daddy won is going to be retried. The thought of going through the whole thing again makes me feel like I have a tape worm stretched from my throat to my bowels.

On Friday I was pretty distraught.

Then a little miracle happened.

I happened to be listening to Rev. Kyles being interviewed on NPR about Martin Luther. This is what he said:


It is said that Robert Louis Stevenson was a man who never enjoyed good
health.He spent a lot of time in his room even as a child. He was always looking out the window. His nurse asked him one day, Robert, what are you doing? He said, I'm watching that old man knock holes in the darkness. She said, what are you talking about?

He would climb up the ladder and light the light, come down, move the ladder to the next pole, climb up, come down, move the ladder. And everywhere he would light a light it appeared to him with his little quick mind that a hole was being knocked in the darkness.

And so I'm suggesting that those of us who have the strength and the ability, we should be knocking holes in the darkness. So, Martin Luther King came to Memphis - it was a dark place to come, but he came and he came knocking holes in the darkness.



One of life's great truths is that if Mama aint happy, aint nobody happy.

So I had to find a way to myself snap myself out of it.

For some time now, I've been considering a perm. Yes, I know this hearkens back to the regrettable fashion era known as the eighties.

But. I was thinking of just getting a body perm. Natalie was in total agreement. She thought it was a great idea. She has curly hair herself and I think she is somewhat partial. She encouraged me to go for it.

I knew I needed a good laugh to lighten things up around here, sooooo......



Not to worry. I only slept in foam rollers. But Natalie didn't know that.

I totally convinced her that going on her advice I permed my hair. And I did it myself.

She was beside herself.

People. I got a day full of the kind of laughter that makes your ribs ache and your head hurt. The kind of laughter that releases some kind of happy chemical (who knows what its called, I'm not a scientist) that makes everything just a little better.

So maybe I made myself happy at someone else's expense. Ah, what can you do? It was worth it and although I might have upset Nat a little, I knocked a big ol' hole in my own darkness which means my kids and husband will have a happier mommy. Which means everyone will be happier.

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Do you think I missed the point here? I do what I can.

14 comments:

From the Kitchen said...

Go ahead, get a perm. Just cut your hair short. I think it would be smashing! Just scrunch and go.

julie said...

you're a riot, Ben and the babes are lucky, lucky.

Anonymous said...

Hey that is a great look on you! I love to laugh at others expense. Pulling off a good practical joke is hard to do. Good on ya!!

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking that would be funny to pull on John...except now that I think of it instead of laughter, screaming, wailing & crying might ensue, so....nevermind!

Molly said...

Ha Ha! What a great joke! Being the daughter of a hair dresser I got my first perm at 3! I have had every style, color, chemical process you can think of. Hope the trial goes smooth this next go round. Happy Tuesday!
~Molly P

Elizabeth said...

No, you've so NOT missed the point, here. On this gray and rainy southern California morning, I've opened your blog and am listening to the beautiful music and scrolling down the perm story to the hilarious photo of you (you should have put some shoulder pads under that towel!) and grinning ear to ear.

Thank you.

karlalala said...

you are a hoot and a half!! wish i got to know you better when i had the chance!!

Shelby said...

you're my hero.

Jen Fox from Mississippi said...

LOVE the "perm"!!!! You are too funny... So, it's been two months since Spark, but I still am inspired by all the artists I met, like yourself! Thanks for sharing your time and energy and talents with us!

Oh and just in case you were wondering (and since I'm one of those nerdy science geeks)... Laughing triggers the release of endorphins, our bodies' natural pain killer.

Anonymous said...

oh gosh. note to self: never ever ever get a perm!

Unknown said...

Visiting from Elizabeth, who I love .
This is classic.
I would love to do this to my family. And I'd look like that guy from room 22 with the very big red hair.

thanks for the laugh.... I needed it too.

cole said...

Naw- you didn't miss the point- if there is now a light where there was darkness- you got it exactly :)

Webb Family News said...

you are too funny!! That got a good laugh out of me Lucy!! You really don't want to perm your hair?

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