~I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. —Portia Nelson, "Autobiography in Five Short Chapters"
My own four experiences with holes written October 5th, 2021
1. I walk down a road I fall into a hole This happens a few times I stop walking down roads.
2. I get tired of being stuck in one place I decide to try again. I walk down a road A different road than before I know holes can happen I keep my eyes on my feet Just in case.
3. I walk down roads I carefully keep a list of roads with holes It is always in my mind Is this a safe road? Will it be safe today?
4. I walk down a road with a friend I forget to check if it's a safe road We are talking and laughing Then I realize This is that very first road the one with that big hole.
Did we not notice and walk around it? Did we float over it? Is the hole gone? Will it come back?
So many questions. All I really know is I am grateful for the moments of not worrying about holes while laughing with a friend.
The outline of the original poem was in the back of my mind. All I remembered was the holes and eventually going around them. I wrote mine and then read the original. The original is pretty wonderful. I love analogies and this one just suited me for some of my experiences with ptsd triggers.