{"id":99,"date":"2008-10-29T09:15:44","date_gmt":"2008-10-29T13:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gloriacrist.com\/blog\/?p=99"},"modified":"2008-10-31T15:08:07","modified_gmt":"2008-10-31T19:08:07","slug":"elephant-come-on-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gloriacrist.com\/blog\/2008\/10\/elephant-come-on-in\/","title":{"rendered":"Elephant: Come on in……"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have a seat. Get comfy.\u00a0 Take over the whole room.\u00a0Go on.\u00a0Stay for a while. It’s been years.\u00a0 No one will notice you or comment on your appearance, on how you\u00a0ended up here, who had the\u00a0nerve, the very nerve,\u00a0to invite you anyway?…( were you even <\/em>invited?)\u00a0 How long\u00a0are you\u00a0planning on staying?\u00a0If you are lucky,I will arrive at just the right time and make mention of you being here.\u00a0 I will say the wrong thing at the right time…or vice versa. I will comment on the obvious. Loudly. It will be the first\u00a0thing out of my mouth. \u00a0 I will ask you all kinds of questions and expect detailed answers. I might even\u00a0challenge your answers.\u00a0 I will, without question, make judgements and offer up options on how to best deal with your presense. Your big being.\u00a0 I will not ignore you, though others will wish( please<\/em> Gloria, please, just shut-up<\/em>) I would.\u00a0 \u00a0We will go head to head and toe to toe.\u00a0 Make nice with that elephant. Gloria, make nice with that elephant<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0! After time, you will not even notice\u00a0the elephant\u00a0here. There.\u00a0Right there.\u00a0 From time to time, someone( could you?,Gloria, please?) will clean up after it-feed it, offer up a beverage, entertain it…..<\/p>\n

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You will begin to notice how others react to\u00a0you, Mr.\u00a0Elephant.\u00a0( or is it Ms.?)\u00a0Or not.\u00a0 You will wonder why no one else is saying anything.(Shhhhhhhhhhh, don’t, for God’s sake make it mad, Gloria\u00a0<\/em> )Doesn’t anybody want to\u00a0know? Isn’t anybody just a little curious?<\/p>\n

Wait.\u00a0 Where is everybody going?\u00a0 Wait.\u00a0 Wait one minute.\u00a0 Everybody breathe.\u00a0 Everybody just wait a fucking minute!!! You there in the corner.\u00a0 Turn around. Say hello.\u00a0 Meet and greet.\u00a0 You?\u00a0 This is an elephant.\u00a0 E-l-e-p-h-a-n-t.\u00a0 This is not a zebra. or a monkey…or anything else you wish\u00a0would take it’s place. Hey, put the bottle down.\u00a0 An elephant is an elephant-no matter how blurry your vision.\u00a0 AND YOU?!\u00a0 It is not the devil-this is not a war for God to fight.\u00a0 This one’s for you.\u00a0 Put the Bible down and just deal with the elephant.\u00a0 And you.\u00a0 You.\u00a0 This is your family.\u00a0Are you the one who invited this elephant?\u00a0 For whatever reason.\u00a0 Please.\u00a0\u00a0 Please.\u00a0 Is anyone besides me interested in how the damn elephant is feeling?\u00a0 Just a little interested in how and why?\u00a0\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Why not?\u00a0\u00a0 WHY NOT?<\/p>\n

Hello?<\/p>\n

Hello???! HELLOOOOOO?<\/p>\n

(dead silence)<\/p>\n

It is only\u00a0me and the elephant.<\/p>\n

Great.<\/p>\n

It’s going to be a long night.<\/p>\n

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