Member-only story
Cleaning the Shame
A short story of goals and stuff.
“What about this?”
She holds up what you know looks like a ratty, tattered book. It is a ratty, tattered book.
But your undergrad professor gave you that book. It contains information about the first excavation of Incan ruins.
You flip through it. The content is outdated at best, and racist at worst.
“Why don’t you get rid of it?”
You can’t get rid of this, no matter how tattered, how racist. This reminds you of when you were young and full of hope. This reminds you of all the dreams you had back then.
Dreams that seem further and further out of reach.
“And this?”
It’s your weigh-ins from Weight Watchers. All those years ago. You flip through it. You were doing well. Wow, really well. You were almost skinny.
You could be almost skinny again.
You can’t get rid of this, either. It’s a reminder that you could do it. It’s motivation.
“This.”
It’s a jumble of yarn…a blanket you were making for your best friend’s baby. That baby is 7 now.
But maybe another friend will have a baby.
