SHADOW PLAY
by E.C. McMullen Jr.
Copyright 2009
Yeah sometimes I get ’em. You too probably.
Today I got in a blue funk.
The bluest blue, the funkiest funk. Personal issues and situations in my life became seemingly insurmountable problems in my mind.
So I went for a walk to clear my head. Wound up at a place in LA called The Grove.
Bought a doughnut at the Farmer’s Market and a small coffee. How can you not feel better after eating your favorite donut? Yet I didn’t. I thought of the picayune money I just spent on both and felt like I’d cheated myself, wasting money on buying a cup of coffee when I had my own coffee at home.
Have you had this kind of day?
When that happens I do what I always do: think of all the people in the world who have it a lot worse than me. But this time that didn’t work.
This time when I thought of all of the suffering of all those other people in the world who are worse off than me, instead of it stopping me from feeling sorry for myself, it put me in an even bluer mood. Absolute blue if there is such a color.
Not only did I feel down and helpless, I felt that the whole world was tipping over the edge and I just had to sit down on a nearby bench and collect my thoughts. It was around 6pm and the sun was setting on the day, matching my mood.
I hate feeling this way. It feels like a luxury I don’t deserve, or didn’t earn.
Nearby a young boy, probably no more than 2 and a half, 3 years old tops, appeared to have just discovered his shadow. His giant shadow stretched out long from the setting sun at his back. He waved one arm and watched with utter delight as his giant shadow waved back. He shrieked out a laugh that was ear-splitting, but impossible to be un-charmed at the sight. His father, smiling and bemused, stood by but off to the side so as not to let his shadow interfere with his boy.
The child waved both arms and naturally the shadow did the same. Again with the glass cracking laugh. Before I gave it a second thought, a smile cracked across my face.
The boy jumped into the air, watching with happy wonder at his control over the massive shadow.
He got it!
He fully understood that he alone was the master of this amazing thing! He turned to look at his father (to see if the miracle was noticed!) and with as much awe and pride as a 3 year old could muster, vocally put all of that sense of happy accomplishment into one word, “DADDY!”
All of my seemingly insurmountable problems: All of the unbearable weight of the world, flaked away from me like ash.
As I sit here a few hours later writing this, I’m amazed at the stunning power of one 3 year old boy against the world.
(originally posted at my MySpace blog on Tuesday, May 5, 2009)
Make sure you have plenty to read for the end of the world. Buy my book,
WILLOW BLUE.
It’s my second collection of critically acclaimed Supernatural and Drama Thriller short stories with all of the Weird Sex, True Love, Monsters and Mayhem, you’ve come to expect (or should by now). Available in paperback for $8.00 or in Kindle for only $1.99. Buy the paperback at Amazon and the Kindle eBook is free! The tales will last you longer than latte!
Apocalypse not coming soon enough to suit you? Stock up then.
PERPETUAL BULLET: A Science Fiction Collection.
It’s a veritable trove of previously published Science Fiction Horror Thriller tales – plus bonus stories
Featuring: Weird Sex, True Love, Monsters and Mayhem!
Now on sale for $9.00 in Trade Paperback and in eBook for $1.99 and available for your Android Tablet, iPad, Kindle, Nook, and every other “E”!
Find it at (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Diesel, !ndigo, iTunes, KoboBooks, Smashwords, WHSmith, and more).
Buy the paperback at Amazon and the Kindle eBook is free!
Fill that shelf space
Look for my story Cedo Looked Like People, in the anthology, FEAR THE REAPER, edited by Joe Mynhardt. Available from Crystal Lake Publishing and available in Print for $12.99 or eBook for $2.99.
Record the event for future colonists from other worlds!
Also available from Crystal Lake Publishing, the film making guidebook, HORROR 201: The Silver Scream. Reap the rewards of movie making experience from the likes of Myself, as well as John Carpenter, Tom Holland, Jeffrey Reddick, George A. Romero, Keith Arem, Richard Gray, also the late Ray Bradbury, Wes Craven, plus many more. $19.99 in Print or $3.99 in eBook.
June 21, 2010 | Categories: Life, Portfolio | Tags: Blue, boy, father, funk, laugh, Play, problems, shadow, world, young | Leave a comment
Feo Amante's WordPress 
You must be logged in to post a comment.