The Prodigal Monocle
Every year, near the end of January, there is a civil war ball held at the Ohio Statehouse. People dress up in Civil War-era dresses and suits and dance the way they did back then. I wore a top hat, an old-timey suit coat, a thin chain necklace with a monocle attached to it, and I used a black curtain rod that resembled an aristocratic cane.
Marshall and I walked into the ballroom, three minutes before the first dance was going to start. We managed to find our friend, Jane who we had planned on meeting there. The second she still saw me all dressed up, she laughed and told me I looked awesome! Then she asked if I wanted to dance with her.
The first dance of the night was called the Virginia Reel. There were many intricate parts to this dance, but at one point the “top couple” (the couple at the front of the room) was supposed to sashay between the rest of the group, who is arranged in two lines. When it was Jane and my turn to sashay tragedy struck!
Every time we moved my monocle would hit my chest. It hit once, twice, and on the third time, I thought it was going to hit Jane right in the face. Luckily for her, it did not. Instead, the chain around my neck broke, and my poor monocle flew right over her head, in slow-motion. We looked everywhere for it, but it seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth.
Jane introduced us to all her friends and we all danced together until refreshments were served. While we were enjoying our snacks, one of Jane's friends, Carrie, asked Marshall how we know Jane.
“She's my ‘sister’s’ best friend.” I explained.
“What's your ‘sister's’ name?”
“Arden Anderson.”
“Ah, the famous Arden! I've never met her, but I've heard a lot about her! Every time she's with Jane they have really bad luck!”
“It's not just with Jane!” I replied with a chuckle, “When I went to visit her, she cut her foot on a fence and had to get stitches!”
The night went on and Marshall, Jane, her friends and I all danced to our heart's content, and we just had a blast! At the end of the night the announcer, who had been telling us what dance was going to happen next, called everyone together to announce the best-dressed award. “Before we get started,” she said, “did anyone lose a monocle?”
Upon the announcement that the monocle had been found, our entire group cheered! I’m telling this story for a few reasons. One, I think it's funny, and its a neat little adventure. But most all, I bring it up because that monocle represents something else that has returned to me very recently- My adventurous spirit and confidence.
For those of you who have been following me for a while, you know that three of my four “sisters” don't live around me anymore. The last one to leave, August, is gone for three months and she's probably going to move soon after she returns. The five months leading up to the day she left was agonizing, the day she left was devastating.
I was stressing out about her leaving, and “the end of the era” so much that I was just not myself. I mean yeah, I was still living life- being productive, and being kind of adventurous, but something just felt off. But now that the stress that has been building for 5 months is over, I feel excited for what's coming next! Sometimes you can lose a part of yourself, but much like my monocle, that part will always come back!
Have a Greattastic Day
J. Mitchie Ulibarri
J. Mitchie Ulibarri
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