“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
-Lewis Carroll
Today I’m in Dallas, TX, my home away from home. Spending time with my mom has been my number one objective, and we took advantage of the beautiful weather this morning. I love hiking, and Mom thought it would be fun to appease my inner park ranger. As we approached the state park, I noticed a tweet from a friend with the above quote. It was almost noon, and I’d only thought of two impossible things. One involved hairy fairies that would save me the trouble of using roller brushes and flat irons. The second impossibility included an elected government that restricted the wardrobes of citizens. (I could get behind that, if it meant outlawing wearing socks with sandals.) I took the opportunity to challenge my imagination and create four more impossible things to believe in.
My mom and I started our journey passing a group of students who were enjoying the wildlife (not the wild life), and that got me thinking. What if kids with a wild streak were required to spend a specific amount of time in the wild. Lions, tigers, and teenagers! Oh, my! (Impossibility #3)
The early summer sun played hide-and-go-seek with a few rain clouds. The refreshing rain that sprinkled over us left the air heavy and fragrant. I felt thirsty as the rain cleared, but didn’t have a water bottle with me. What if it was possible for our skin to ‘drink’ in water, and relieve our thirst? Convenient and quenching! (Impossibility #4)
The wind pushed through layers of limbs covered in leaves. The natural canopy provided little protection from the whistling gusts, but the sound was calming. Our own culture could benefit from a similar language spoken with soothing words and guiding whispers. (Impossibility #4)
The fresh air filled our lungs, and the canyon trail pushed our legs to burn. The sensation was exhilarating and energizing, but half way through the hike my mother’s momentum wavered. Being stranded on the trail wasn’t an option, and she was determined to finish the hike. All of the parts of her body that hurt and huffed and puffed would perform better if she worked them out more often, but she mentioned a magic pill that would help her. I know she meant Tylenol, but I’d invest in a company that could create a pill to restore my joints, endurance and strength. (Impossibility #5)
Once we made it to the top of the trail, we strolled over to an outlook and took in the beauty of God’s creation. Miles and miles of undeveloped land. While I’ll be the first one to admit that I might die without indoor plumbing, I’m still enamored with the notion of living in a rural area. I can’t imagine living their long (because I would probably die), but waking up without another building or person in sight every day could have its benefits. I might get more writing done! (Impossibility #6)
It may take you until breakfast or until dinner, but I challenge you to think of impossibilities you can believe in. I’d love you to consider sharing a few in the comments below!
