The Wall - continued

Continued...


Turning the stone to wedge it into the wall, I realized it's unique hue and shape...like it was made for a specific place from a different kind of stone. As I scraped a bit of lichen from it's side, I discovered a cavity. Thinking it may hold a fossil or bit of clay, I was curious to see what time had deposited there. As I dug the debris from the hole, I felt my knife strike something solid. Quickly, I poured the contents into my hand. And there, within the stone, wrapped in a scrap of oilcloth, was a tarnished, brass key.

From a story prompt @

The Wall

The wall was built long ago.  Remnants of the barrier it had so boldly proclaimed still mounded here...crumbled there.  A reminder of the lives that had been lost on this lonely field, their battle won.


As I stand here looking over the tufts of heather and heath, I'm thoughtful of the struggle we continue to fight as we turn our hearts toward home.  From a long line of proud ancestors, the fire still flows through my veins.  A stone from the pile of rubble at my feet, I begin to rebuild the fallen wall in front of me as my personal monument to the cause and a symbol of the victory I plan to claim. I am no longer held back by the armies of old...or the crushing power of past conquerors, though their mark will forever remain.

Will I overcome the trials I face?  Will I bear the future with pride?  My heart swells with stories of victories won long ago. Never again to cower in the face of my own iniquities, a sense of peace fills my soul. In this field of memories, I stand tall, a piece of the past in my hand, near the wall that was built long ago.

This post has been shared with Saturday Centus .

Changes

Change is scary.  Sometimes you've done the same thing for 30 years and then you realize that it's not working anymore and hasn't been for awhile.  You stick your head in the sand and try to ignore it but as the joy drains away, you have to admit it.  It's time for a change.  But you know if you make a change, you'll be judged for it.  Because people don't think your reasons are good enough or they chose to minimise your ideas.  But when it comes right down to it, you're the one who will answer for these choices, and it won't be to them.  Oh, maybe on this earth and in this life, they'll shun you and talk about you, but in the end, who really cares? 
I think I've had just about enough.  There's no reason to maintain the status quo because most people won't notice anyway.  They don't now.  We've all been through it and sometimes you just need someone to come along side and love you no matter what.  Friends who will look for you and know that something's changed without having to be told. 
I'm afraid.  Too many what-ifs.  But if I can't find what I'm looking for, should I just continue on or should I step out of my comfort zone and make a change?  Can I find a place where I'll be ok... or will the next step be just the same?  I hate to sound so dismal.  This should be a place of joy and sharing.  It's something that I've been thinking about for a long time.  Maybe it's just me.  It seems like I'm the oddball.  And the worse things become, the more pressing it feels.  It'll be best for all of us...I think.