No You Haven’t
What sweetness
I looked in the mirror. I don’t recommend it.
“What sweetness will you be feasting on this morning, the wonderful musings of others, or the ‘whatever it is’ that you write?” it asked.
“It’s none of your business, and I don’t write sweet.”
“Have you forgotten who you are talking to?”
“I wish I had.”
“Wishing is a fool’s choice. So how exactly will you be splitting your time today between reading and writing and wasting the time away?” it asked.
“There are other good things that I could do.”
“But you know that you won’t do them. So what will your preference be on this lovely morning? Will you enjoy and give attentive due to the writings of others, or spill another mess of your own brain’s beans onto a page.”
“Is that what you think my writing is? Just beans on a page. That’s a little disrespectful, if you ask me.”
“I’m not asking you. I just want to know who you will give more attention to
in the next few hours. What percent of your time will you give to them? What percent of your time will you give to you?” it asked.
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, would not fifty/fifty be the fairest of all? I do enjoy fair.”
“But this isn’t about fair. This is about your soul.”
“Whoa, whoa, don’t go there.”
“Why not? You are a lot better off going there than going to your ego.”
“But you know as well as I do that the more that I read, the less that I write.
The more that I write, the less that I read. I can’t do both at once. What
is a man to do?”
“You are overthinking this,” it said, “and what a surprise that isn’t.”
“Okay, I get it. Point well taken. I shall let the moment decide.”
“Moments can’t decide anything. They are just moments.”
“You are making this difficult.”
“It’s a mirror thing,” it said. “We are all born that way.”
“What do you suggest I do?”
“I thought you’d never ask. Leave the bathroom before you get too
comfortable. Walk away from me, read some, write some, and be
kind until being unkind is the right and kind thing to do.”
“Did you think of that pearl of wisdom or chunk of nonsense all by
yourself? That’s deep, or maybe deeply disturbing. Leave that up
to me next time. Just because you can reflect doesn’t make you a philosopher.”
“I’ve had enough of this!” it said. “Walk away from me, now, before
I show you something that you don’t want to see!”
“You’re a mirror. I’ve seen it all before.”
“No, you haven’t.”
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© Randall Snyder
Opportunities to read or write are often underappreciated.
