Jerrys Yo-Yo

Home
>
Inspirational
>
Jerrys Yo-Yo

The blaring sound leapt under Jerry's skin and strangled him awake in an instant. His eyes popped open in terror and for a darkened moment he forgot where he was.

"Oh, Jeeze," he exclaimed in sudden realization-"the freekin' alarm."

He slammed his wrist on the snooze button and flopped back on the bed.

Nine minutes later the blare cried out again though the awareness came much quicker. Jerry smacked the clock and rolled his feet off the side and out from under the sheets. Slug-like, he dragged his sagging carcass into the bathroom and looked at the face that stared back at him in the mirror.

"Ugh," he muttered. "Nice breath," he added as he frowned and reached for a crusty toothbrush.

Only the growling in his paunch kept him from crawling once more beneath the covers, coupled with the painful knowledge that without a paycheck the cupboard would stand ever more bare and stay that way indefinitely.

"Life blows," he mumbled, scratching peanut butter onto the last nub of bread from a week-old loaf.

Throughout the day, as he most often did, Jerry ran the gamut of emotions, up, down, high, low, from the heavens to the depths, like a yo-yo.

His burst of creativity left him giddy only to morph into a morbid employment dread when the boss shot down his idea.

Jerry rode hard, dominated by one feeling after another, unable to separate or manage or compartmentalize-a black and white tango that left no room for gray.

Upon arrival at home, Jerry walked straight to the mailbox and stood in ritual, leafing through the daily arrivals.

"What?" he exclaimed, a sudden burst of exhilaration.

The envelope read U.S. Treasury across the top.

He ripped it open and began a disjointed funky chicken on the sidewalk.

"Pay to the order of ME-you know that's right," he grunted as he spied his income tax refund.

His bliss came to a jarring halt as he recognized the handwriting on an oversized card beneath the check.

She hadn't returned his calls in several days and though he had tried not to over-analyze, the sinking torment in his gut spoke volumes of his suspicions.

He tore the flap.

Dear Jerry,
This is the hardest thing I've ever done?

He sank to the ground, sat on his front lawn with his head in his hands, frozen. Numbness turned to anger turned to denial, to sorrow and into frustration, to a desire to regain numbness and a quest for his favorite bottle. The unexpected funds mattered little if at all.

Jerry found himself on the couch, alone, with no more company than his misery and his muse.

"Why does this always happen to me?" he questioned.

"Why can't I catch a break? Why can't I spend some time in cruise mode-live a normal space, mellow, stable, even keel-for at least a minute?"

He knew himself well enough not to expect an answer.

He had made this query many times before.

"Why can't I balance better? Why can't my pain and pleasure co-exist? Not like she hasn't discarded me before-why does the rejection so over-shadow my good fortune? Why don't I have any control?"

Still, he persisted, like a dog on a bone.

"If I'm me, then I need to accept me, feast or famine Jerry, the good and the bad, over the top to rock bottom-that's me."

A slight smile returned.

"Yup. That's me," he reassured himself. "In my sorrow, I'll find joy. In my hurt, I'll dig up some love. That's me, yo-yo Jerry."

He stopped nursing the bottle, set it on the coffee table and picked up the stack of mail, all except the card.

"Yup," he repeated. "Not bad, not bad."

He grinned and started laughing.

"Yeah, baby. Pay to the order of?"

That's A View From The Ridge?

About The Author

Author Ridgely Goldsborough invites you to subscribe to The Daily Column, a heart-felt collection of stories that inspire hope and courage. Please do so at www.aviewfromtheridge.com.

ridge@aviewfromtheridge.com

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Gaza fighting rages despite cease-fire proposal (AP)

AP - Israel resumed its Gaza offensive Wednesday, bombing heavily around suspected smuggling tunnels near the border with Egypt after a three-hour lull to allow in humanitarian aid. Hamas responded with a rocket barrage.

Pink slips pile higher amid deepening recession (AP)

AP - Pink slips are piling higher as companies scramble to cut costs even deeper to survive the country's economic and financial storms.

Obama taps spending watchdog, eyes Social Security (AP)

AP - Pointing with concern to "red ink as far as the eye can see," President-elect Barack Obama pledged Wednesday to tackle out-of-control Social Security and Medicare spending and named a special watchdog to clamp down on other federal programs Â— even as he campaigned anew to spend the largest pile of taxpayer money in history to revive the sinking economy.

Senate Democrats yield to Obama, retreat on Burris (AP)

AP - Senate Democrats beat a hasty retreat Wednesday from their rejection of Roland Burris as President-elect Barack Obama's successor, yielding to pressure from Obama himself and from senators irked that the standoff was draining attention and putting them in a bad light. Burris said with a smile he expected to join them "very shortly."

Obama hails 'extraordinary' moment with presidents (AP)

AP - Confronting a grim economy and a Middle East on fire, Barack Obama turned Wednesday to perhaps the only people on the planet who understand what he's in for: the four living members of the U.S. presidents' club.

Melting snow causes heavy flooding in Wash. state (AP)

AP - Rain and high winds lashed Washington state Wednesday, causing widespread avalanches, mudslides, flooding and road closures as the heavy snowfall that has buried parts of the state began to rapidly melt.

Feds say inauguration attractive terrorist target (AP)

AP - The upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama is an attractive target for international and domestic terrorists, but U.S. intelligence officials have no information about specific threats to the Jan. 20 event.

'Dark Knight' sweeps People's Choice Awards (AP)

AP - Holy People's Choice Awards, Batman!

Lin, Harvard upset No. 17 Boston College 82-70 (AP)

AP - Jeremy Lin scored 27 points to lead Harvard to an 82-70 upset over No. 17 Boston College on Wednesday night, three days after the Eagles upset previously top-ranked North Carolina.

AP source: Browns to hire Eric Mangini as coach (AP)

AP - Eric Mangini is the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns, a week after being fired by the New York Jets. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that Mangini will be introduced Thursday at a news conference at the team's headquarters in Berea.

Israel bombards Gaza as U.S. backs ceasefire proposal (Reuters)

Reuters - Israeli warplanes bombed targets across the Gaza Strip on Thursday and tanks advanced on Palestinian guerrillas as U.S. backing for a truce proposal raised expectations of an end to the offensive.

Explosions heard in northern Israel: reports (Reuters)

Reuters - Several explosions were heard in northern Israel on Thursday and Israel suspected they were caused by rockets fired from Lebanon, Israeli media reported.

Profit warnings, job losses herald lasting slowdown (Reuters)

Reuters - A fresh wave of profit warnings and job cuts soured investor sentiment on Thursday after an employment report suggested U.S. job losses in December could be the worst in almost 60 years.

Senate Democrats move to seat Burris (Reuters)

Reuters - In an abrupt switch, Democratic leaders began talks on Wednesday to swear in Roland Burris, appointed by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.

Budget deficit to hit $1.2 trillion in fiscal 2009 (Reuters)

Reuters - The U.S. budget deficit will swell to a record $1.186 trillion in fiscal 2009, congressional forecasters said on Wednesday, the result of an economic recession that has cut tax receipts and caused massive government bailouts of banks and automakers.

Mumbai-like attack could happen in U.S. : Bush aide (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. cities are vulnerable to an attack like the gun-and-grenade assault that terrorized Mumbai for three days and killed 179 people, the White House homeland security adviser said on Wednesday.

"Enemy combatant" will be early test for Obama (Reuters)

Reuters - The case of Ali al-Marri, accused of being an al Qaeda "sleeper" agent and held for 5-1/2 years at a U.S. military prison in South Carolina, will be an early test for President-elect Barack Obama.

Salmonella outbreak sickens 388 across U.S.: health officials (Reuters)

Reuters - An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning has made 388 people sick across 42 states, sending 18 percent of them to the hospital, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.

Israel bombs Gaza tunnels as peace moves gather pace (AFP)

AFP - Israeli warplanes bombed suspected arms-smuggling tunnels in southern Gaza early Thursday, as diplomats worked to secure a ceasefire in an offensive that has killed 700 Palestinians.

Russia, Ukraine in EU talks as gas crisis engulfs Europe (AFP)

AFP - Envoys from Russia and Ukraine go to Brussels on Thursday for emergency EU-brokered talks to resolve a bitter gas fight between the two ex-Soviet giants that has engulfed Europe in a major energy crisis.

Jerrys Yo-Yo

Inspirational Inspirational