The only thing I feel like doing right now is writing. I want to curl up with a large cup of coffee, fuzzy socks, and snuggle in my warm, cozy bed. I want to pour my soul out into my writing. To let my fingertips take over and let the feelings flow. Release these thoughts that fill and cloud my mind… Write it all out, to get it out. Unfortunately, I have neither coffee nor fuzzy socks. I am not sitting in my warm, cozy bed. And I will not be pouring any of my feelings into this blog. Not now. Not this time.
Instead, I’ll tell you a story. Not a story about myself, but a story that used to be told at sleepovers for entertainment. Not quite a scary story (although those were great too), but a story that made the listener think. I couldn’t even tell you where this story came from. Or if it’s even an actual story that was ever written because I can’t find it anywhere online. Regardless, this is how it goes… (Or at least how I remember it).
[Setting: The listener lays down, legs straight, eyes closed, flat on their back. Try to do this on a flat surface. The listener’s head should be resting comfortably in the reader’s lap. The reader is sitting up straight. Telling the story in a soothing tone. They gently massage the listener’s temples as they tell the story.]
The Reader Begins:
You live in a large wooden cabin in the middle of the woods. Your cabin is surrounded by tall trees. One day, you are bored and decide to go on a walk.
After ten minutes of walking, you hear a voice. You listen. “Procedure to change your life! Guaranteed to make you smarter! Only $5!” You walk towards the sound and see a little, old woman dressed in rags.
“What are you saying? What exactly will make me smarter?” You ask.
“Oh little one,” She says. She has a smile on her face, but you can’t tell if it’s genuine or if she is up to something. She looks up at you with intense eyes. “One simple procedure will make you smarter for the rest of your life. I guarantee it. It will only take a moment of your time and is only $5.”
She smiles again waiting for your answer.
“Alright,” you agree, “what do I need to do?” Though you are not entirely sure if you should do anything. But you figure, why not? That you have nothing to lose.
“Please lay on this table and close your eyes,” says the old woman. You look at the old wooden table. Next to it, you see several sharp tools. You don’t think much of it. You lay down, close your eyes, and you do as she says.
The old woman rubs a strong smelling, damp washcloth against your forehead. You feel your forehead going numb.
[The reader rubs their hand across the listeners forehead pretending to rub the cloth on it.]
“This may hurt,” you hear her say, but she sounds miles away. You feel pressure, not pain, across your forehead as a sharp blade is cut into your head and skull. She removes the top of your skull.
[Reader uses index finger with some pressure and runs their finger across the top of the listeners head. Then the reader pretends to pull of the top of the skull and sets it on the table.]
The woman begins asking questions. She sounds more distant than ever. What she’s saying doesn’t make any sense, but you must answer. “How many rocks? Pick a number: one through ten.”
[THE LISTENER PICKS A NUMBER. The reader makes a fist and starts knocking on the listeners head as though inserting “X” number of imaginary rocks.]
“How many pebbles? Pick: ten through twenty.”
[THE LISTENER PICKS A NUMBER. The reader uses the tips of their fingers, tapping on the listener’s forehead “X” number of times as though they are inserting pebbles.]
“How many pounds of sand? Pick: one pound or two?”
[THE LISTENER PICKS A NUMBER. The reader uses the tips of their fingers, tapping more quickly and softly on the listeners forehead for about 10-20 seconds.]
You feel the old woman place your skull back on and she sews up your head.
[Reader pretends to sew up the listener’s head, then begins massaging listener’s temples again].
You fall into a deep sleep. When you finally wake up, the woman is gone and your head is pounding. You look down and see that all of your money is missing. Your head feels like it’s 100lbs. Slowly, very slowly, you try to get up.
[At this, the listener tries to get up slowly. Encourage them to move very slowly and watch them struggle as though their head really did weigh 100lbs!]
The end!
I always enjoyed this story because it was interactive and entertaining. I know this isn’t exactly how it was told to me, but it’s the same idea. I never really knew what the moral of the story was, but reflecting on this as an adult, I now see the what it’s trying to teach. That we shouldn’t trust strangers. We shouldn’t change ourselves through surgery or magic pills. We should love ourselves the way we are. That’s my understanding anyway.
Well, this beats my bleeding heart problems that I could have been writing and reminds me of good times. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I used to! Try it out sometime and let me know how it goes. 🙂
TOTALLY SIMPLE. VEGAN. 