Covert Metaphor

A frame is how we perceive our experiences. Everyone experiences a specific event in their own unique way. One person may see an event as a crisis, and another will see it as positive change.

Reframing allows us to change the meaning of an event. It is human nature to equate our limitations with security. Unexpected events are usually perceived as negative. Our car may suddenly get a flat tire, we may lose our job, or a relationship may fall apart. And yet within crises their are always opportunities. At the bottom we have so many possibilities. There is not much elbow room if you are only inches from the top.

I sat down to write my post a few hours ago, but was rudely interrupted by a severe thunderstorm outside. It took the power out. I waited a few minutes for the lights to come back on. Nothing happened and I was left in the dark, unfairly cursing the power company for not dealing with the problem fast enough.

My wife and I searched for candles, and it reminded me of those times as a child when the power went out…

The sound of the rain beat against the glass of my bedroom window. It wasn’t quite bedtime, my light was still on, and I was trying to persuade my parents to let me stay up just a little bit longer. I sat on my cozy bed in my familiar house, reading Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince. It must of been my third or fourth time I’d read that book cover to cover.

I longed for adventure like most children. Why didn’t the adults around me understand all possibilities, all the magic just waiting for them around the corner?

Suddenly, a loud piece of thunder echoed loudly across the sky. The lights were out in an instant, and lightning was flashing menacingly through my window. My heart leaped out of my chest. I was maybe eight years old. Perhaps I had experienced the power going out in a storm before, but I did not remember it.

I could hear my parents cursing downstairs. They were searching for candles, matches, and a flashlight. It was an unfortunate event for them. Another pain in the ass, as they so eloquently put it.

It was a magical time for me. There was uncertainty. There were unseen energies involved and so many possibilities.

I watched the candles flicker and cast shadows of unmistakable outlines of mysterious creatures. The sound of the TV was absent, replaced by a peaceful ambience.

My parents were obviously not enjoying themselves as much as I was. Their demand for the power to come on immediately, was spoiling this magical moment. They weren’t open to the wonderful opportunities being offered. Their refusal to accept what life brings only made things worse.

I couldn’t change their attitude, and so I continued to watch the candle light make shadows dance and listen to the howling wind whisper secrets only I could hear.

So, the power outage tonight had given me the opportunity to bring up a memory and turn it into a metaphorical story. I created positive from the negative. I found new options.

Do you have any stories for reframing unexpected changes?

admin :: Jul.20.2007 :: metaphor, storytelling :: No Comments »

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