Casting The Stone

     Frank was a regular guy.  He graduated from a small town high school and joined the service.  When he returned, he married his high school sweetheart.  They had a couple of kids and life seemed to be going fine, like it was supposed to go.

     One day Frank's wife left him.  Packed up her stuff, said her good-byes and walked out the door.  She also left the kids. 

     Frank was brokenhearted, she was the love of his life.  He wondered what went wrong.  He tried everything he could think of to fix it, but nothing worked, she wasn't coming back.

     Frank was sad, but he worked hard at moving forward, after all, he had two children to raise.

     Life went on and Frank finally remarried.  

     One day he discovered he still wasn't happy.  His life was boring, his health wasn't the greatest and his marriage had turned into just two people occupying space under the same roof.  

     Frank sat down with his wife and had a heart to heart conversation and she wasn't any happier than he was.  They decided to call it quits.

     Frank was now in his early sixty's, still a handsome man but wondering just what is was that life had in store for him.  While he was in the service and stationed overseas, he had picked up a stone off of a foreign shore.  The stone was about the size of a half dollar and had been worn smooth by the waves and sands of time.  Frank had put the stone in his pocket and carried it with him everyday.

     One fine sunny day, Frank drove to a small lake and sat down on the bank.  He watched the small waves lap against the shoreline and contemplated just what it was that life had in store for him.  He pulled the stone out of his pocket and gently rolled it from one hand to the other.  The stone was still smooth as glass after all these years but it wasn't quite as large as it used to be. 

     As Frank gazed at the stone, he asked it a question.  "Old rock, where is my life headed?"

     Much to Frank's surprise, the stone answered.  "Where do you want it to go?", it asked.

     Frank gasped, "You can talk?" he said after he regained some of his composure.

     "Yes", the stone answered.

     "I didn't know you could talk!" Frank exclaimed.

     "You've never asked me if I could." replied the stone.

     Frank looked at the stone and decided maybe he was truly losing his mind.  "What the heck", he thought, "go ahead and talk to a rock."  He turned the stone over, "Does it matter which side I talk to?"

     "No", said the stone, "I'm pretty much ambidextrous."

     Figuring he had nothing to lose at this point, since his mind was obviously packing its bags and moving out, Frank took a deep breath and said, "OK rock, where is my life headed?"

     Again the stone replied, "Where do you want it to go?"

     "I just want to be happy!" Frank answered.

     "Is that a place?" asked the stone.

     "What do you mean, is that a place?" Frank asked, he was beginning to think talking to a rock wasn't such a good idea.

     "Is happy a place you can go to?" the stone asked.

     Frank was getting frustrated.  "No!  Happy isn't a place I can jump in my car and drive to, it's just something I want to be!"

     "Hmmm", mused the stone, "I'm confused."

     "You're confused!?!  I'm the one talking to a rock!", blurted Frank.

     "Well", said the stone, "If you can't go to happy but you want to be happy, what's the problem?"

     Frank clenched the stone hard in his hand.  Not only was he talking to a rock, it was a smart-ass rock.  "You just don't understand." Frank sighed.

     "Try me." said the stone.

     "OK", Frank sighed again, "It seems that my whole life has been anything but what I wanted it to be."

     "What did you want it to be?" asked the stone.

     "I don't know", Frank stated.  "I got married to the love of my life and she left me.  She not only left me, she left the kids too.  I did everything in my power to get her to stay, but nothing worked. It was awful.  It hurt more than I could imagine and it screwed up the kids.  Then when I finally decided I was over her and it was time to start over, I married again and that didn't work out either. Here I am, in my sixty's and I'm still not happy.  I'm a nice guy and I'm not that old.  Sure, I've got a few health issues going on, but hey, at my age that's expected.  

     I still don't look too bad for my age either and I'm trying to pay better attention to my health.  I would like to find someone who wants to do things together, you know, have some fun.  Go out to eat, go to the movies or just hop in the car and go for a road trip. I'm trying hard to fix all the wrongs I did in my life, to make up for lost time. I worked hard and now I'm even retired.  I may not have money to burn, but I'm comfortable.  I just don't understand why I can't find someone to make me happy.  To finish out my days with a happy life."

     The stone was silent.

     Frank stared at the stone.  "Good grief" he sighed, "I'm talking to a rock."

     I'm still listening." the stone said.  "May I ask you something?"

     "Sure."

     "Have you ever been happy?" asked the stone.

     Frank gazed across the lake and let the question ride on the waves.  "Yes." he finally answered.

     "When was that?"

     "Back in the day." Frank said.  "Back when I was younger and life was full of fun.  When I was married, the first time, and the kids were little.  I was involved with a group of guys and every weekend we would get together and play basketball.  We all had young families back then and we took them with us.  It was a great time, we had so much fun.  Those are some of the best memories of my life. I'd go back and relive them if I could."

     "You do." said the stone.

     "What do you mean?" Frank asked, a little annoyed.

     "Frank, I've been in your pocket for over forty years.  I've been everywhere with you.  I was at your wedding, the first one, the births of your children and the every weekend basketball games.  I was there when your wife left and I was there when you grieved the loss.  Basically, I've lived through all the things you have just shared with me, because I was always there."

     Frank thought about this before he spoke.  The rock was right, it had been by his side for most of his life.  "Then why am I not happy?", he asked the stone.

     "Because you choose not to be." the stone replied.

     "That's not true!" Frank shouted.  "I was really happy back when everything was right!"  

     The stone was silent again.  "What have you got to say about that, you stupid rock?",  Frank muttered to the rock cupped in his hands.  He was beginning to worry that maybe someone might overhear his rock conversation and think he was really "stoned".

     The stone spoke again.  "Frank, you were right.  Happy isn't a place you can drive to in your car and you know why, because happy isn't a place at all.  It's a mindset.  It doesn't come from anywhere or any person except yourself.  Happy is something only you can provide to you and you alone.  There is not one person on this earth who is designated to make you happy.  Only you.  

     You need to cut the ropes, Frank.  The ropes you have been using to drag your past around with you.  Yes, I know how much you loved your first wife and yes, I know how beautiful you thought she was.  But Frank, beauty is only skin deep.  Real beauty comes from the inside, from the heart.  She really wasn't the best thing that happened to you Frank".

     It was Frank's turn to be silent.

     The stone went on,  "Life is full of unexpected things, Frank.  There is no handbook for a perfect, happy life.  Everyone goes through trials and tribulations.  The difference is what you learn from those experiences and what you gain from them.  Everyone makes mistakes too, Frank and you can't spend all your time trying to make them right.  They happen for a reason.  That reason may not be clear in the beginning but if you take the time to focus on what strength you gained, you will realize that it was a lesson to be learned.  Stop looking back and start looking forward.  Sure, you did have a great time during the glory days, but those are behind you and no matter how hard you try, they're never coming back.  

     You have spent so much precious time trying to relive them that you have wasted so much precious time that could have been used to move forward in your life.  Are you with me Frank?"

     Frank's eyes were a little misty.  He looked straight ahead and softly whispered, "Yes, I'm with you."

     "Frank, everyone has glory days, days of youth and fun and fire.  But that's all they are, days.  The more you try to drag them along with you, the more you push people away.  Sure, it's fine to get together and talk old times, but don't spend all your time there.  Life is always a forward movement.  You need to go with the flow, so to speak, like water flowing down the river.  Yes, you can back paddle, but it's a lot easier to ride downstream.  You already know where you have already been, start looking forward to the things that you haven't seen yet.  Stop and take the time to enjoy the trip, look at the scenery, see things you have missed.  Find a new interest or try something you've never done before.  When you meet someone, listen to them.  Listen to where they've been but most importantly Frank, listen to where they are going.

     Life is not about what other people do Frank, it's about what you do.  Shake off the old dust and look at each day as a brand new adventure.  When you do this Frank, you will understand where true happiness comes from."

     Frank looked at the stone for a long time.  Everything it said was true.  How had he been so blind to it.  He rolled the stone over again in the palm of his hand, "Have you ever made any mistakes, rock?"

     The stone chuckled, "Well, I ended up in your pocket, didn't I?"

     Frank hung his head, "Gee, has it been that bad?" he asked the stone.

     "No." said the stone.  "It hasn't been bad at all Frank, because I have chosen to look at each milestone in your life, along with my own, as just that.....a milestone.  A place to be reached, a place to be lived and a place to move on from.  It's time you moved on too, Frank.  Cut the ropes and learn to live life as the adventure is was meant to be.  Live in the now Frank, cause' now is all you have."

     Frank stood up and once again gazed across the lake.  The wind had died down and the waves were gone.  The surface of the lake shone like a black mirror and reflected a cloudless sky.

     He looked at the stone in his hand.  "You're right rock, it's time I started living.  Living in the now and not in the past."

     "Atta boy!" said the stone.

     "I think too, rock, it's time to do it on my own.  I've carried you through the years locked in the depths of my pocket.  If I'm going to move on, you should be able to do the same."  Frank felt a stirring deep in his heart as he spoke to the stone.

     "Whatever you decide" said the stone, "I will be fine with it.  Just remember Frank, to always look forward."

     "May I cast you in the lake?" Frank asked the stone.  "It would be like a ceremonial right of passage to cast you and my past at the same time."

     "Like I said before Frank, I'm fine with what you choose to do.  I would like to ask one request before we part, though." 

     "Anything!"  Frank replied, "You may ask for anything your heart desires!"

     "Could you skip me across the lake Frank?  I've always dreamed of being skipped."

     "Your wish is my command!" Frank told the stone.  "And thank-you, my old friend."

     "You are most welcome", said the stone.  "Fire away!"

     Frank leaned back and with all the strength he had, he let the stone fly.  The stone hit the water at the perfect angle.  It skipped once, then twice and instead of losing speed, it seemed to go even faster.  It skipped so many times that Frank lost count.  Then it was gone, sinking to the bottom of the lake, never to be seen again.

     Frank stood and watched as the last ripples of the stones' path faded away into the glassy surface of the lake.  He felt good, maybe with a touch of nostalgia, but better than he had felt in years.  He wondered just what this new feeling was, it was coming from somewhere deep down inside his soul. 

     A light breeze blew and ruffled Franks' hair and as he felt the wind caress his face he was sure he heard one last whisper from the stone...."Happiness, Frank, it happiness."