Messages from the Cloud

Messages from the Cloud

Messages from the Cloud

I realize I might not be on a cloud, but that’s as far as my imagination takes me. I’m not even sure if I can see or hear you, but that’s what I’m telling myself. That’s the only way I could accept my fate. I didn’t want it. I promise you. I really just felt tired. Is that so bad?

I wonder if in my previous lives I was a lounger. Someone who sat back eating grapes one day and olives on the other, or was I worked to death with never any rest?

I thought we were supposed to learn something in our next lives, but I can’t see past now. So, I don’t know if I was or if I’m supposed to be. And I can’t see before. Was my submission ticket smudged? Did they send me the wrong lifespan? Did the messenger misunderstand my need for a nap and a personal organizer?

Will I ever reach enlightenment? I don’t recall, but when I left, my enlightenment light bulb didn’t light up. So maybe I didn’t, but maybe I will.

If I get another ticket, will I stop watching and protecting you? It’s not my choice. They pretend to be kind. But how kind is it to steal a person from their loved ones? I wonder if I can be a detective here. Is there any autonomy? Do I have any say?

I think people like to tell stories, but these stories really skewed my view. It isn’t like that at all. Not at all. I wonder if I can speak to Cupid. Can I shoot a message down to you? “Eat your leafy green vegetables and get enough protein! Make sure you meditate, stretch. Keep your muscles and body strong—but don’t go to an extreme. Watch out for scammers and save your money, but also spend money on adventure. Just don’t waste it!”

I wish I knew if money could even translate up here. I guess not, but does anyone have any say about any of this? I feel like I’m in the industrial revolution working in a line. Really? I never wanted this. It’s boring as fuck.

The Future Refuses to Happen

The Future Refuses to Happen

The Future Refuses to Happen

SETTING: A cluttered living room with a meditation station, signs of Buddhism, new age. Papers piled up everywhere.  A clock ticks audibly throughout the scene, but elevates at the end. 

AT RISE: The character, mid-rant, paces back and forth clutching their back. They occasionally wince dramatically.

Character: (into phone) “Help! Help! I’m a chronic mindfulnesser, and I’m stuck in the moment! I keep trying to move on with my day, but no dice—stuck! Here’s my backstory: I had a real negative outlook, anxious and worried all the time! Then, I got invited to a retreat with Jon Kabat-Zinn. He talked about the importance of living in the moment, taking appreciation for what I already had. Oh, I was so stuck in a Have and Have Not mentality—it was killing me! An early grave, I was heading, I was.

This retreat was life-changing. I decided then and there, I would not be a worrywart any longer. I loved this idea of living in the moment. It was like quantum physics in reverse—it was science and nature all mixed up. (Throwing their hands in the air.)

It was really working well for me until I slipped and hurt my back—and I’ve been in agony for this moment… forever. I liked old Jonny-boy, but he never told us how to move out of mindfulness! 

Can you imagine having back pain for eternity? It’s awful, and I’m sure Mr. Kabat-Zinn would not want me to suffer like this. I’ve tried chanting, ‘The future is mine,’ but the future refuses to happen.

They stop pacing, hold the phone in front of them like it holds the secret to their misery, and shout into it.

I’ve been thinking, and I think the Buddha has some wisdom for me. He says suffering is caused by craving and attachment to things that are impermanent, and I think he holds the key—I’m craving the future. See, you can’t make the present and future non-changing—they always change—so if I can just let go of the idea of time and space, I’m sure this back pain will go away. So please, doctor, doctor— (Pulls phone away, looks at it.) Can you hear me? Please help me break out of this moment! Let this relentless back pain be a thing of the past.

We hear a long beep indicating the end of the message. The clock ticks loudly. The character pulls the phone away in disbelief, only a message! The character feels defeated.

BLACKOUT

 

What is the Purpose…?

What is the Purpose…?

What is the Purpose…?

What is the purpose of keeping a dead battery?

It’s a reminder that you need to buy new batteries. It’s a reminder that you don’t have a working carbon monoxide detector. It’s a reminder that you could die of carbon monoxide poisoning, and when people find you, they’ll say, “If only she had replaced the battery.” It’s a reminder that you ignore important things. It’s a reminder that you haven’t cleaned your desk since last week. It’s a reminder that you should see if they have rechargeable 9-volt batteries. It’s a reminder that you could see if the detector works when the battery isn’t in it. It’s a reminder of why you didn’t already try that. It’s a reminder that you should do your to-do list again.

Dead batteries left on your desk are a great way to remind yourself to replace the battery.

It’s true. If you threw it away or rather, recycled it, you would forget all about it. You know that saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” But then it just becomes part of the desk, so it’s best to move it around every once in a while.  I’ll start my to-do list again.

To-do lists help me stay on top of tasks.

That’s great. How long have you been doing that?

Oh, I haven’t started…well, I started a while ago, but then got busy and forgot to keep doing it.

So, are you starting/using it again?

Yes. Okay. You don’t have to judge me.

I’m not judging you.

Yes, you are. I can tell by the way you’re writing and that sideways glance you make. That is your judging look.

“Judging look?” You say that like there are others.

Oh yeah, you have lots of looks. Your judgy look is look number 23.

What is the point of a literal crisis?

I don’t think there’s a point. It’s a result. The point is that obviously, the person is having a very hard time. The point is that maybe you should have checked in with them already. A literal crisis is when a person always…lives in crisis mode, and they literally have a crisis. The point is that this is not a “thing” crisis. It’s an actual crisis. The point is somebody needs some help, and this is our clue to get out of our own heads and jump into action.

A literal crisis helps you feel like everything is peachy keen compared to a literal crisis.

It helps you break down so you aren’t hiding it all anymore. You might not agree, though, because some people might really clam up. You never can tell with literal crises. I suppose it all depends on the who, what, where, when, and how. You know, sometimes they’re a good clearing of things, and sometimes it means you’ve hit rock bottom.

What is the point of a rebound trampoline?

What is the point? Well, I’m sure there has been a segment about it somewhere. I imagine Richard Simmons had a rebound trampoline workout. Everything Richard Simmons does has a point. My doctor said to get exercise whenever I can. Rebounding is supposed to reset you…get it? Rebound…reset. We’re doing it again. The point is if you bought one, you should use it.

Rebound trampolines are a great way to get exercise.

They’re convenient if you leave it in the kitchen, so when you go past it, you can just jump on it for 30 seconds or something. It’s much better than anything else because you can do it barefoot, in a dress, in your pajamas. You don’t have to turn anything on. You can…you can’t say that about anything else, can you? No way.

Why do you have a rebound trampoline in your kitchen?

It’s great exercise. I was just reading about it. It can actually help change your mood. I needed to get one after my literal crisis. It was awful. I mean, it was my daily. I don’t really even know what happened, except I stopped writing my to-do list, and I fell so behind on my tasks that I forgot to eat, clean, pay bills, shower, do yard work, and check on my family. I never knew a to-do list was such an important thing for me. I mean, sometimes you don’t realize until you hit rock bottom. But the to-do list literally kept me from having a literal crisis. You know, it may have also been a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. Yeah, I was in the hospital. They said it was a good thing I went outside when I collapsed. So, the first thing I’m putting on that to-do list is buying a new 9-volt battery for my detector. It’s a silent killer, they say. I know this firsthand…well, not literally, because I didn’t die. I survived. But I think that lack of oxygen kind of sent me into a crisis…a literal one. Yeah, the literal one. Oh, it was awful. It’s a good thing I went outside because I felt guilty. I don’t think my neighbor knew what to do. And why do people call the police when someone’s having a crisis? It’s stupid, really. They don’t have the training and education for it. Unless you’re lucky. But I wasn’t lucky that day. Well, I’m never really lucky unless you count all the days I didn’t have carbon monoxide poisoning or a literal crisis. Yeah, I guess those are lucky days. And if I look at it from that perspective, then I guess I’m the luckiest person alive. And that’s why I have a rebound trampoline in my kitchen: You have to live life by the moment, take it day by day, and jump for joy, literally.