One
of the powerful tools in storytelling is the Ah-Ha! Moment.
It’s
a character recognizing their fault, or not their fault, and how to carry on
doing better.
These
are powerful moments in real life, also. For reflective people, these recognitions
are numerous, and not nearly as dramatic. But in the context of story, they are
crescendos that lead to the stories’ climax resolutions.
Just
this morning, a stranger who had parked their car in front of our driveway
(blocking my ability to use my car) said I was “impatient” when I asked him to
move. I did what I always do, covering up my frustration with a smile and
asking how long it would be before he would, you know, pretty please, free our
driveway. He said, “not long,” and I walked away.
But
I was seething. Underneath my practiced non-confrontational smile, I thought---
The nerve of him. Not for blocking my driveway, but for calling me “impatient.”
But
even before he did move on, twenty minutes later, I realized he was right. I
was impatient. I didn’t need to use my car right then, I could wait. If I had
an appointment to get to, I’d explain, and he (probably, hopefully) would have
moved. Going to the store this morning was not an urgent matter, and I was simply
being impatient.
This
complete stranger called it. If patience is virtue, (and I believe it is) I need
to work on it.
This
tiny lightbulb moment got me thinking about my fictional characters, and their
moments of illumination.
Let there be light~
2 comments:
That's an interesting point, Mirka. Those moments mean a lot, though I don't know if you were really being impatient. It's not cool to block someone's driveway. I've had some major ah-ha moments in my life that have changed the way I view my ex-husband and our marriage.
Love,
Janie
Such a good point, Mirka, about the A-HA moments. I still think it wasn't courteous of the person blocking your driveway and then telling you you're impatient, even if it's true. I do think we are generally impatient because our relationship with time has changed. We try to be too productive... I've made a conscious decision to try to walk or ride my bicycle as much as possible even though it takes more time. It feels good to take the time instead of rushing about.
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