"Cherish not only the prize, but the journey it took to get to the prize." Chioma Onwudiwe
Title: The rest of my journey and life. (Act II Scene II)
Singing:
"Let's start at the very beginning
A very good place to start
When you read you begin with abc....."
When you are lost?...... You trace your steps right back to avenue A or wherever it was you initially lost your bearings. Simple. Or is it?
Epilogue: Spy-camera spots heroine sneaking about on her (wounded) tippy-toes backstage. She dilligently searches for a less conspicuous exit. Finally, she finds the right door and it reads: 'Welcome to the rest of your life. Exit avenue A' Heroine stops to ponder, as the angry mob behind her gains momentum. She must give this whole thing another go. So much time has lapsed, things lost and injuries sustained. But she still has the blueprint etched in her indelible memory. An indestructible collision of design and destiny. An overdue gestation, that begged to be delivered. A cornucopia of ideas that must be released to exhale, before it implodes. And as far as this blog is concerned, an item that still had to be found.
As the rowdy, clueless, disruptive and entitled horde advance from behind, our heroine steps forward to the moment of truth. Drum roll, as the orchestra plays. She pushes the door open with all her might and steps into a new beginning of unfolding dreams..... Cut!
So here we are at the final stretch of this lost location traipse. Welcome. An end where instead of having to barrel through a victory ribbon/tape of a race won. I would hop on a seat gingerly and tie/tape my toes securely, to the appropriate foot. I will eventually get my ribbons alright. They will probably come in form of bandaids with pictures of pink-eared rodents. But I know I will be fine. So let's see this version of my item/truth search trip as the grand finale. An award show of sorts. A version where we find out who told the truth/half-truth, that led or did not lead me to my desired item. Since I had made the decision to re-attempt the search for my item location. I tallied every direction given to me by my very wonderful and cooperative participants. A heart felt shout out to you all. You are appreciated.
Starting from the very beginning:
Participant A's mention of the elusive vintage store of my item must have been out of a bid to stay relevant at the moment. Remember it was just an empty chatter while we stood in queue. It was probably a way of saying: "Hey, I am connected to all extinct creatures on planet earth. Check me out." As he flashes a big A sign on his chest. I do not know the motivation of directing someone to a location you are not even sure still exists. And I may never know. But for whatever reason A, thank you for showing me the endless possibilities I was capable of. Like combining the random address you blurted out with the one spat at me by the search engine. And voila! I had a castle in the middle of nowhere. Thanks a bunch A. All is well in my life. How about you?
I set out on the path that B had suggested. After the first sharp turn as he had directed, I was dizzy to say the least. And definitely sharp enough, to slice a beef burger with my foot. It was on the same block with the big mac, he had tried to simplify using a landmark. All good and well. The only problem was I had already seen six golden arches in one hour. Was it the same one? Had the Ronald mutated himself several times, since I started limping across the village? Was I circling the same block mindlessly without realizing it? Or better still, was this a very hungry neighbourhood? It was really hard to tell in the scorching heat. And who is ever up to answering their own questions? By the sixth sharpened swoon and turn as told me by B. I was ready to dye my hair blue-green. Insert a bracelet on my forehead and join his parade.
But here is the catch. He did tell some form of the truth as he knew it. That item store was at that location about three years ago. The real and current truth was that it was no longer there. But the last time B checked, it stood at that spot. A few french fries trail away, it did. Sigh. They must have moved while B was getting acquainted with the orange color. So he missed it. I applaud him for not dyeing his brain along with his hair. Great memory B! More power to you.
C's version of the truth was respectfully solid and indisputable. The only problem was, it was not progressive. I believe she was there when the foundation of the earth was laid. And Adam and Eve were required to sit quietly in the buff and dine from a multiple course menu. While their favorite soap opera played. Was that enough? No. They wanted to take the restaurant home too! At least Eve did. So off she went, defiantly baring her chest. As the ugly slimy snake slid down a ladder and cheered her on....... Phew. What has that story got to do with getting lost in the East Village? I think this whole search/item incident is getting to me. Just a moment while I get back on track.
So C's recollection of the store from almost half a century ago was no longer applicable. It was not on the map nor was it search engine worthy. Bless her sweetness, but C needed an update. Or maybe not. I think she was better of not knowing that the items were on the verge of extinction. Allow her to stay in whatever year she feels safe.
D, oh dear D. D put a new spin on the phrase 'image is everything'. Image might know something we don't. So next time you hate on someone for looking nicer than you do, know that they may be your answer to getting home with your toes intact. That is of course if you are geographically challenged. D's description disputed the search engine's output and she won! You don't say. It was exactly as she described. I think she should be awarded a nine digit contract to re-arrange the streets by straightening out the criss-crossed ones. And then she could go ahead and match the roof-tops to the street signs. How picturesque would that make-over be? We applaud you Ms D. You are the bomb. You fought for the freedom and right to give directions contrary to the trending pictures on the 'gram. Do say hi to your high-fashion inclined chihuahua. Or was it a maltese? Never mind.
E if you are in the lecture room reading this (as you pretend to be listening to the tired professor). I would like to apologize for any bruises our argumental tussle may have caused you. I dare say you deserved it for trying to quench my adventurous zeal. I too incurred some insults from you might I add, but I am willing to let it slide.
The store had moved indeed, probably when E was still in diapers. Who knows these things anymore? Word on the street was that they had schlepped for reasons indiscreetly blurted out by E. Mercy me! Is there no privacy anymore? For future references, you did not hear this from me. My lips are sealed. And I know that is a gesture that E would appreciate. Not that I really care. As a matter of fact, I got this to say to you E.......
F my cool and fun loving comrades, introduced the paper map to my toe-tripping life. They also showed by the size of that monster, that one was always better off super-sizing stuff and their french fries. Who knows? The money saving tips I gave them, probably gained them enough coins to buy an even larger map. Watch out Empire State! You might get draped by a giant cloth King Kong style.
And on that note I rest my survey. Each participant (including me) told what they believed to be the truth, but it was not the ABSOLUTE TRUTH. Did I find the store or my item? Not really. But that would be a story for another blog, time and place. Things might have changed by the time we do meet again. However, I believe the TRUTH will remain the same.