Abby Baggini
Mr. Dilworth
E Block Intro to Lit.
September 7, 2014
The wise man said that happiness is a figment of your imagination.
“You see kid, its not a concrete object. Its not even a feeling. Happiness is an outlook, and idea. ‘nd guess what son? I’ll let you in on a little secret. You choose.”
He repeated his last words, “You choose,” as he poked a scrawny, age-bent finger at my direction.
“Perspective is everything, everything is perspective.”
“How you see is how you feel.”
He paused, toying with the box of cigarettes in his hand. He lit one, blew out a long puff of smoke, and subtly waved his hand through the air, as if annoyed at it.
“You can see it as your failure, or another’s success. You can choose to remember the dark hours of the thunderstorm, or the vibrant rainbow that followed it. All of these things in life, they all have two sides to ‘em, kid. Just choose the good one and you’re all set to go.”
He said all of this with his gaze distantly fixed upon something ahead, not even turning slightly to the right, where I sat. From the side I could see his eyes open and relax a little, with a sort of sad innocence. For a moment I could picture what he may have looked like in his youth, but his expression soon faded and my imagination was lost. The wise man put his head down, and drank the last of his scotch. He pushed the empty glass across the bar, said, “Thanks, Jim,” to the bartender, rising from his seat. He put on his coat and hat, and turned so that he fully faced me. I saw his clear, pale eyes.
“Well, that’s pretty much it, kid.”
With that, he strode out the door. I never got to thank him.
Abby,
ReplyDeleteYour story really made me think, I could't even believe you wrote this compared to published authors! The epiphany was at the end when the main character acknowledges that he was able to take away something from his words of wisdom.
This is a great story, I really liked how detailed the description of the old man giving advice is, it really gives the story a great atmosphere. The epiphany is when the old man exits the bar, leaving the protagonist to digest his advice in solitude.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Elias: The details were very clear, and gave me a perfect image of this scene, as if it were in a move. I really enjoyed this story, and I think this is something I can apply to my life. I feel educated! The epiphany moment, like Elias said, is when the main character sits alone and realizes how crucial that information was.
ReplyDeleteThis piece is well written, has an honorable message, and has a conclusion just ambiguous enough to allow the reader to infer their own ending. I especially appreciate this story because it evokes a rather atypical range of emotions. Instead of the conventional profound happiness, sadness, or fear, this piece evokes a more pensive, curious feeling, which can certainly be just as, if not, more powerful than the emotions formerly mentioned. The epiphany occurs when the narrator realizes the gravity of the advice upon the departure of the old man.
ReplyDelete