Another good Midwestern storm has just blown in, the kind that makes you want to lay in the hammock and watch the lightning show. It was the first time I could be outside for more than six minutes without getting eaten alive by the “skeeters” and gnats. The wind turned, the sky darkened, and now it's a full-on, glorious Midwestern storm, complete with thunder rumbling like a distant drumroll.
It's 7:40 PM on a Saturday night. I’ve put off writing this until the last possible moment. You can thank that storm for getting this done. Originally, SM and I were going to brave the wilds of the public world. It’s a rare treat when SM has a Saturday night free, and we had a few options lined up. I was a bit hesitant, though—waking up at 5:15 AM tends to sap my energy by 6:00 PM.
There's a distinct shift in the air, a mix of excitement and calm that only a storm can bring.
In the Midwest, when someone bumps into you or accidentally moves something, they say “Ope.” It’s our little way of acknowledging the minor mishaps of life, with a touch of charm and a hint of humor.
I had this idea the other day while lazily drifting in and out of sleep in my hammock: taking the word HOPE and giving it a bit of a Midwestern twist H-OPE!
Lately, everyone I’ve spoken to seems to be in this weird state of limbo. There’s an uncertainty in the air, a cautiousness about how and where they spend their money, and a collective sense of waiting for the other shoe to drop. The great thing is, it's everyone. Not just you, not just me, but the collective human experience globally.
It’s like human bowling. We’re all just trying to get through the day without falling into the gutter, hoping we don’t get spit back out, and praying no one’s sticking their fingers in our holes. As life smashes into us, instead of the usual exclamations of “FUCK!! What the HELL!! What the fuck am I doing wrong?”—I think we should reframe it like a good Midwesterner. Just have a hearty laugh, look up into the sky to your higher power, and say, “OPE!”
Grab a half pound of potato salad, two pieces of fried chicken from the deli, and sit on a bench to watch life pass by. Bringing this gentler approach to life can change your outlook, turning that bowling into bumper bowling and helping you stay out of the gutter and hopefully unwanted fingers out of your holes.
Personally, I feel things are going to move in a more positive direction. It’s a nice feeling. I was very close to just giving up, but I knew in my core it couldn't continue on this path. That belief kept me dragging my feet and looking towards the sky for any sign of hope.
The dark, invisible 300-pound blanket that used to cloak my shoulders has been taken down to 180 pounds. It’s a great feeling. The darkness still lingers, but I feel I can navigate more lightly through the shadows. As I bump into the obstacles that life throws at me, I will do my best to remember to laugh and say “OPE!” to my higher power.
If that doesn’t work. Who wants to start robbing banks like some old school bad asses? When was the last time you heard about a good ol’ bank robbery.
EYE HOLES:
EAR HOLES: