For this Gemini (me) Mercury going retrograde tends to create verbal contention. Words become a jangled mess and communication slides into a ditch somewhere near me and whoever I'm with. Even through texts. As a matter of fact, I had to sit here staring at my blinking cursor for a good five minutes deciding on whether or not to start this note out with "Mercury Retrograde". Those very words will scare off some audience members and gentle readers. Don't go! The next five minutes of reading will give you some food for thought, it's not about astrological glitter. I promise. Furthermore, any feedback regarding your own recent mess-ups in dialog would be greatly appreciated.
A friend sent a funny anecdote to me today after I did my best to explain to her the word weirdness of the last few days. This will set the stage:
A 3 year old child asks the mama, "Where does Pooh come from?"
To make things simple, the mother said: "You just ate, right?"
"Yes" the child replied.
The mother continued, "Well, the food goes into your mouth and down to your tummy. Then your body takes all the good stuff it needs out of the food and what's left goes down to your bottom and then when you go to the bathroom it comes out as poo."
The child looked confused and stared at the mother, a bit stunned for a few seconds.
Then she asks: "And Tigger?"
It's amusing because we already know that the child is asking about the iconic bear of Christopher Robin's adventures in the 100 Acre Woods, but the mother is simply too distracted or taken off guard to put it all together. And that's really what has me in a bind.
How often do we truly take into consideration who we're engaging with? And even then, are we following their every thought, are we asking the right questions during conversation?
I present to you, Deck Boxes and Duck Tales.
Please choose a "deck box" and one of the "duck" images from the selection.
Today, I received the t-shirt you see pictured from my friend who bleeds all things Disney when you peer into her heart, and the foundation of this story, really.
It all began over the weekend when we spoke on the phone. She said that she was going to get me a "duck tail" t-shirt for my birthday and I was very excited. This was right up my alley of weird. Can you imagine the fun I'd have hiking while wearing that and possibly quacking at people? Not only that, but ducks had become part of a running joke for me. I'll explain in a different post, but for now let's continue this debacle.
She explained that the only one she could find at the store was in black, and she hoped that I wouldn't mind. I told her that was marvelous, and it could be formal wear, ha ha ha.
"I will sashay around zee farmers market and wiggle my tail feathers", said I.
She chuckled and asked me if I'd finished my deck boxes, and if I'd settled on a color yet. This set me back a moment.
My brain did a bit of a twinge, along with my heart.
Didn't she know that I used green? I plastered them all over my social media. And for the love all that was holy, they were released a month ago.
I was a bit irritated. She isn't usually this passive aggressive. We both have a bit of a sarcastic streak in us too, but sincerely? She knew how much creating the Tarot Deck meant to me, and while I could appreciate that she wasn't much into the cosmic woo as I, she didn't have to be so snarky. My feelings were a tad hurt. I said as much.
There was a lag for a few seconds. I couldn't tell if she was laughing, crying or sneezing.
"Sarah, I'm so sorry, when you said you were working on your deck boxes, I thought you were making planters for your patio, like your garden boxes? I thought it was sweet that you were going to paint them."
She had a point. But ...still. There was a part of me that had to really take into consideration her paradigm. That of not being on social media much, or even sharing the same social circles as much as we had in the past. She lived in the South, me here in the funky PacNorWest.
I don't know if she felt foolish or amused or both. I didn't. I was not amused. I tried to be, in spite of it all. To shift the tone, she commented rather cheerfully, "If you don't like the black duck tails, I can order a blue one instead. I'm wearing mine now, but it won't be available until after your birthday."
"BLUE?! YASSS, Lawdy, yusss. I'd love blue duck tails. Besides, black might be harder to explain. What if someone thought they were crow or raven feathers?"
She sputtered one word, "Disney"
I laughed so hard, I did choke. Inhaling a bit of my green tea along the way. I spewed and reached for the wipes I keep on my desk. They are diaper wipes. With Winnie The "Pooh" on them.
The pun never ends.
+++++++++
This is going to become a long standing anecdote for future workshops and essays about the Four Disagreements, as opposed to the Four Agreements so eloquently given to us by Don Miguel Ruiz.
- Be impeccable with your word.
- Always do your best.
- Don't take anything personally.
- Never presume.
... and if you do? Check to see if you've been plowed under by a Mercury Retrograde whim storm.
It happens a few times a year. We won't be out of the shade until the beginning of June.
Thank you, so much, for reading and I always welcome your comments!
Take a look at @Labyrinths when you have a moment, and join our labyrinth community on HIVE if you're interested. We just started it, so there's not much going on yet, but if you're ever in the need for a "down to earth" (but not too earthy) psychic, you can find me online at Brigid's Aether.
Any images and graphics (unless noted) are mine.
