For as long as I can remember, I have been a story teller. It all started when I was young. Oh I told many stories then. Although at that time in my life, my father referred to them as lying, but hickchic thinks...it's all how you look at it. For instance, when a glue job backfired...I had no idea how it got broken...or perhaps it had met it's demise during a tragic accident when the so and so friend who had been up tripped and fell into the lamp, and they were just so lucky that they hadn't been cut or hurt badly. There were five families of kids growin up here back then, and when anything like this or similar to this happened one of the friends always took one for the team, cuz our parents wouldn't get so mad at them and no one would be punished. I was always the go to person for a good story to explain unfortunate mishaps to avoid punishment. And generally it worked pretty good for my friends, but not for me. The reason why it didn't work for me was cuz usually either my brother or sister or both were involved with me in our mishaps and my dad would take us one at a time into a room and interrogate us. He always saved me for last. You would of thought that eventually I would of learned that my brother or sister wouldn't stick to the story. Nope they always told what really happened. Then when it came my turn, my dad would take me into the room and ask the big question "what happened"! Of course, I would go right into the story I had made up, always with the hope they had told the same thing. But no such luck. Dad always seemed to enjoy my stories though, I think, cuz he would always listen tentatively till the end. Then he would say, "Are you sure that's what happened?" At this point I knew I was had, but I would still answer, yep, that's what happened. I guess you can figure out the rest of what happened...it usually ended with me being grounded and a few swift love licks to my bottom...and a nice long lecture how lying was wrong, and that was the reason I was being punished but my brother or sister were not. So dad tried to beat the story tellin out of me. I often tell him, I might of been a famous writer if he hadn't beat it out of me!
So next in my cycle of story telling, came when my niece and nephews were born. Them and their friends were always gatherin around me beggin for a good story. I usually told stories on my sister and what a big baby she was. But most of my stories were bout little mishaps when I was young, with several fictional ones as well.
Then after I had my girls, I continued the tradition of story tellin with them and their friends.
And I shall finish this blog with tellin one of their all time favorites...
Once upon a day, a day much like today...only the sun was hotter, and their wasn't any breeze, and the sweat dripped off of you standin still...I always started my stories like this...the kids would laugh and then holler tell the story!
So, on this day, the twins and I were at home and I was goin through some things, when I happened upon this object.
"What is that mommy?" one of the twins asked.
And as I stared at the object the story began.
Well this is a fossilized octopus eye, I told them with much enthusiasm!
I got this deep sea divin back in 1985, when I lived in CA, long before you two were born, I explained.
Wow! Were the girls reactions.
Yep, I had joined up with a group of deep sea divers to search for hidden treasures and then on one particular dive we found a sunken ship. I can remember swimmin through that ship, like it was just yesterday. The bottom of it now filled with sand and small rocks, and there was a large hole in the side. As we were swimmin through it and came to the gallows, and I explained that that was where they ate their meals. There buried in the sand, I saw something gold, just barely visible. I carefully uncovered the object to find that it was a golden fork and very beautiful with ecthed designs throughout the handle. Everyone gathered around me as we gazed upon the golden fork and then passed it around for all to see. Then as we continued on our search through the ship, I held my golden fork proudly in my hand as we swam. After a long period of time of examining the ship, with our air now getting in short supply, we decide to conclude our deep sea diving adventure for today. I was the only one who had found anything on this trip and what was so cool was that we got to keep whatever we found. So as we were swimmin, and just exiting the ship suddenly something grabbed me around one of my legs. I linged in toward the girls and intensified my voice as I started this part of the story. And as I turned around, I was eye to eye with a giant octopus. He had a strong hold on my leg, and it was beginning to really hurt. So I did the only one thing I could think of to do...I took my golden fork and I stuck it right in that octopus's eye socket and pried down on the handle. To my amazement, that octopus's eye popped right out of it's socket and as it came toward me I grabbed that eye with both hands. The octopus now in terrific pain, I am sure, released me from it's hold. And when it did, I held that eye in one hand and swam as quickly as I could to the water's surface. Unfortunately in the battle for my life, I had lost my golden fork. And after I was safely back on our ship, I looked at my leg which was still hurting. And I pointed at my leg. And see that round scar right there. The girls were like yeah...that is where the octopus's tentacle scarred me for life.
Wow mommy, the girls said with wide eyes.
And then I told them, so if you ever go deep sea diving and you see a one eyed octopus that be the one your mommy fought.
One of my girls asked could she keep the eye and I told her sure and to take care of it though.
Little did I know what an impression the story had made and why she wanted the eye.
They were in first grade when I told them that story, which I was makin up as I went along.
So, when Samantha came home the next day from school she told me how she had showed everyone the octopus eye and told the whole class the story bout my deep sea divin adventure. Course bout this point, I was thinkin I should tell her that it was just a story I made up for their amusement. But I thought how can I tell her now, she was young and perhaps wouldn't understand that it was just a story and not like the majority of my stories that were true. So I figured soon she would just forget all bout it. But I was wrong, every new school year she would take that octopus eye to school or if a new student enrolled and tell them the octopus story. I kept thinkin when she got old enough I would tell her that I had just made it up. Then the day came, she was in 5th grade then, and had to write a story for class. Sadly she said, "Mommy, I don't know what to write about, I wish I have done all the cool things like you, deep sea divin, fightin an octopus. And before she could go any further, I thought, ok it's time to tell her, she is old enough now. Sam, I said, and took a deep breathe, I have been wanting to tell you this for a long time. That story bout the octopus I just made it up.
Oh the glare that I received and then with a very angry tone she asked, "And what other lies have you told me!", and tears ran down her face. "How many of your other stories are lies"!
Well, I felt just awful!I tried to explain, and that most of my stories were true, but she didn't understand, nor would she listen to me.
Needless to say, she wouldn't even speak to me for days and days.
But the good news is that eventually as she got older, she did understand. And I am glad to report that now she finds it quite funny and loves to tell the story herself. And I figure it will be a story we both tell her own children one day.
Hickchic thinks.....that my story tellin days aren't over yet and the next cycle will be the grand kids, but I have learned that at the beginning of the story to say, now I made this one up!
I decided to add a little note here in my defense, I really thought when I finished the story, the girls would ask, "Is that true, Mommy". And I would tell them nope, but it made for a good story didn't it. Little did I know that they were goin to swallow it hook, line, and sinker, and be so proud of their mommy for fightin an octopus. And for the record, I did learn the difference between story tellin and lyin...and I can't stand to be lied to and I always tell the truth now.
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