Life on the edge…more than just loose change.
***
Are you wondering about this photo? No magic, no trickery, just a delicate balance. Now read on.
One thing’s for sure about life…you don’t need to look for it, it’ll find you wherever you are. Simply show up. And last Tuesday life finds me in the Verizon store seeking a solution to a cell problem.
Verizon stores are like doctor’s offices…only at Verizon it’s your cell that’s dying, or already dead, and needs repair or resurrection. I walk in. “Be with you soon,” a voice says. So, I wait, and wait some more.
Boredom lives here. No magazines, no music, no Gideon Bibles or salvation tracts to break the monotony, not even a wall TV with last year’s touchdown reruns. But luck finds me.
A quarter lies on the carpet. Not my quarter, but since coins have no name tags, I pick it up. It’s still not mine, but at least I can play with it while I wait.
The stools are occupied so I lean on the table. I spin the quarter around like a Ritalin-hyped kid with ADHD, marveling at its capacity to spin and remain upright. Soon bored with that, I wonder if…oops, curiosity has come to life: ‘I wonder if.’
Be careful when you begin to wonder if this or that. Such ruminations stoke the fires of the subconscious mind. They can take over and lead down strange alleys of life, places of adventure, excitement or even over an abyss.
I once waited in an orthopedist’s office (one of many) some years ago, eons ago it seems. I read about a fifty-mile marathon. That’s right, 50 miles. Being a runner is why I’m in the doc’s office in the first place. But nevertheless, ‘I wonder if.’ You know what’s coming.
Right. I felt the goad, took the bait and ran with it. Several, in fact. As it’s said, “If you feel like running, run a mile. But if you want a new life, run a marathon.” Several orthopedic surgeries later and the prophecy of a changed life came true.
But now back to Verizon. ‘I wonder if’ surfaces again. Will this quarter balance on its edge on the table? I take the bait again. Look at this…a quarter standing on edge, a delicate balance indeed.
Then ‘I wonder if’ strikes again. It dares me to attempt to balance the loose change in my pocket. People look on. They also wonder. I’m on stage now, a reputation hanging in the balance. I give it a shot. First the dime, then the nickel and finally the penny. They all stand, a delicate balance.
But my gloating is short-lived. The Verizon tech exclaims, “Wow!” With that whisper the dime, the quarter and the nickel collapse flat on the table. Only the penny stands, lording over its fallen comrades. There must be a metaphor for this somewhere.
We all wonder why it stands. It’s the least of denominations, almost worthless in valuation. Almost, that is. A one penny SPLOST sales tax for three years in Glynn County yielded $71,595,000 in revenue. Respect is due.
Yet we give little thought to pennies. They lie around everywhere, ignored. With today’s inflation, what’s a penny buying? Nothing. But it takes only one penny to balance or unbalance a checking account or any other set of books. No wonder the penny is still standing while the others have fallen.
My cell is now fixed. I thank the tech and flip the quarter to her. It’s a magic quarter, I say. She looks at me funny and shoves it in her pocket. I keep the penny.
But now I wonder what else I can balance. On my desk is a paper clip. Will it balance on its side? Let’s see. Wow, the magic continues.
What accounts for all these delicate balances? Not much, really. A solid, flat foundation, a steady hand and patience. Which is pretty much the same as balancing most of life. Anyone can perform it. Try it sometimes, impress yourself.
So much for all this balancing nonsense. You have your own curiosity, I have mine. But we all have issues of life to balance…health, children, diets, relationships, money, time and even our thoughts. Good luck with yours.
***
As I conclude this, I’m still wondering if my books will balance to the penny on Judgment Day. How about yours?
Bud Hearn
April 25, 2023