Rock in My Shoe #sol18
March 17, 2018
I click off the television via the remote between us. The house is silent then. I can hear the clock in the kitchen’s rhythmic ticking. It’s so dark. Potential blog post run across my consciousness like oranges on a conveyor belt. That might work, what would come next, too personal, possibly. A cold nose touches my face. It’s not time yet. I look at the clock. 5:00am. I put my feet on the cold floor. Every part of me protests. The two of us head out into the dark. In the predawn, we know the route. It’s a good thing because my mind is stuck in yesterday, replaying and replaying. I shake my head. Think of blog posts, think of recipes, think of grocery lists. No, that doesn’t work, it’s still there. My grandmother used to say you’ve got something stuck in your craw. I do. It’s lodged in there tight like a rock in my shoe. She senses the shift as if I am actually limping. I consider all the would, should, coulds. Why? They aren’t going to do anything now. Next time… I think. Next time. But next time, I’ll still lead with my heart and my enthusiasm. I will still think, you’re with me, right? I’ll be fully me. It would be easier if everyone else spoke fluent Susan. However, that is not the case. We turn around and head home. Gentle brown eyes look up at me as if to say. Just keep moving forward. That rock twinges, but we press on.
Reflections from a Coach 
“It would be easier if everyone spoke fluent Susan.” How I love that line. The thing is, you know yourself; the you that is private, the you that leads from the heart every time. So, the incident may “stick in your craw” as your grandmother would have said, but you also realize that you can do little about it now. I love this reflective piece. Beautifully said.
Thank you
That rewind button is the worst, isn’t it? I noticed the same line as Diane did: “It would be easier if everyone spoke fluent Susan.” It really captures the challenges of relationships and of moving through our world. This is such a well crafted piece. Each sentence moves it all forward, adding nuance or tension, balancing thought and action, moving between past and present. I’m glad you’re still moving forward with your stalwart companion at your side.
This is beautifully written. I liked how in tune your dog was in this piece. Her presence helped us to notice how challenging moving forward can be. ❤️
You’ve really captured that replay moment in this slice. I love the tension between the conveyor belt of slice ideas and the almost visible limp because you’re stuck on what happened. And then, of course, the constant motion in the piece – up, around, forward – and the line that rings so true: “It would be easier if everyone else spoke fluent Susan.” Such a real moment!
Oh, this was soooooo good! I love the “rock in my shoe” image – I could feel it – that incident that happened yesterday that you kept replaying in your head. The almost visible limp and your dog – the gentle brown eyes – oh, I really get that! I loved the “if everyone spoke fluent Susan” too – but so much here – the ticking of the clock, the cold floor – so many senses built in to this piece – and emotion!
Words are elusive sometimes. Yes, you’ve something “stuck in your craw.” Favorite line: “It would be easier if everyone else spoke fluent Susan. ” I feel that way too.
This seems all too real. It’s one thing to go to sleep with something nagging, but it’s so much harder to wake up to it. I like the lines that were just straight images “It’s so dark,” and “Like oranges on a conveyor belt.” Those matched images I’ve had in my head this week. I, too, have the morning walks with the “gentle brown eyes” that seem to understand goodness. They “speak fluent me.” Like you, I take comfort in that.
It’s all real. That’s the truth of blogging.
I know how it feels to have something replay over and over in your head, unable to lodge it loose. I hope that through reflection and time, the rock will work its way out of your shoe.
Fluent Susan? Funny, true notion. As your slice shows, analogies can sometimes help with translation.
I am in total agreement of all the previous comments, This consciousness of mind is like a tumbling drier, turning over each thought, twisting as it turns, trying to make sense of the issue. Sorry your mind has this jumbling around, but maybe it helped to get it written.
Wish I had used that analogy.
Your’s were great!
Wish I had thought of the tumbling dryer metaphor. I feel much better now.
In agreement with previous comments. If Everyone spoke Susan. Stuck in the craw. Rock in your shoe. I like how you didn’t say whose cold nose, but left if out there. The comfort we get from our pets is remarkable. Thank you for sharing your morning with us!
I feel like I am on the walk with you listening to your mind clicking into gear. Thanks for that. I think I could learn how to speak Susan.
I just love how you’ve constructed this slice. So full of imagery and having a strong tone, but also latent with inferred meanings.
“Just keep moving forward.” This is a great line, and that fact that you gave this wonderful advice to your dog to share with you makes it priceless. When it comes down to how to solve any problem, the most obvious way to start is quite often the most overlooked, keep moving forward!
I hate when we replay and replay and replay a scene from the past. I love the phrase, “fluent Susan.” That captures so much. I hope you are feeling peaceful now.
Love the “keep moving forward” message of this slice. Sometimes we need those small reminders to do just that