Thursday, August 1, 2013

The Macy Mirror

My last patient came straight from school. She wore jeans, boots, dark make-up and a face that told me she wasn’t thrilled with this appointment. I started there, “Macy, why do you think you’re here?”

She leaned over with her elbows on her knees, and met me with confident, piercing blue eyes, “Mom thinks there’s something wrong with me,” she smirked, “She’s convinced I’m getting bullied. She thinks I’m miserable because I’m friendless. So, in her effort to ‘cure’ me, she sends me here to seek a resolution to my loneliness.”

“Are you lonely?” I interjected.

“That’s hilarious,” she said, leaning back and flinging her arms across the back of the couch, “I’m overwhelmed by the throngs around me! I’m alone for my own sanity.”
I raised my eyebrows, Patients always discussed how their actions were for the sake of sanity, “What do you mean by that?”

“Here’s the thing,” she said as if confiding some deeply held secret, “I watch them band together around fads, reality shows, or - worst of all - boy bands. I watch them grasp on tendrils of a commonality in efforts to clone themselves. I watch them flee from the euphoria of individuality and I can’t understand why. To belong?” She stopped for a moment, looking over me, out a window with no view, “I tell Mom this and she tells me that’s living, but I wonder: whose life are you living if it’s just a copy?”

I felt like I was looking into some time-warping mirror. I let Macy go on about everything she’d figured out about the world and about how she’s above it all. Part of me envied her certainty. Another part of me remembered her mother’s anguish.

I let Macy leave my office sure that she taught me a thing or two. I let her maintain the belief that she was walking the world stoically alone. I remembered the power in that thinking. Then I picked up the phone and called my mother.

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TrifectaPicture11-1This is my response to the Trifecta weekly challenge, which is to write a 33 to 333-word response (mine is exactly 333) using the following word and its third definition


CHARM (verb)

1a : to affect by or as if by magic : compel
  b : to please, soothe, or delight by compelling attraction<charms customers with his suave manner>
2: to endow with or as if with supernatural powers by means of charms; also : to protect by or as if by spells, charms, or supernatural influences
3: to control (an animal) typically by charms (as the playing of music) <charm a snake> - See more at: http://www.trifectawritingchallenge.com/#sthash.pfKAby6g.dpuf
BAND (verb)
3: to gather together: unite <banded themselves together for protection>
to control (an animal) typically by charms (as the playing of music) - See more at: http://www.trifectawritingchallenge.com/#sthash.pfKAby6g.dpuf

1a : to affect by or as if by magic : compel
  b : to please, soothe, or delight by compelling attraction<charms customers with his suave manner>
2: to endow with or as if with supernatural powers by means of charms; also : to protect by or as if by spells, charms, or supernatural influences
3: to control (an animal) typically by charms (as the playing of music) <charm a snake> - See more at: http://www.trifectawritingchallenge.com/#sthash.pfKAby6g.dpuf
CHARM (verb)

1a : to affect by or as if by magic : compel
  b : to please, soothe, or delight by compelling attraction<charms customers with his suave manner>
2: to endow with or as if with supernatural powers by means of charms; also : to protect by or as if by spells, charms, or supernatural influences
3: to control (an animal) typically by charms (as the playing of music) <charm a snake> - See more at: http://www.trifectawritingchallenge.com/#sthash.pfKAby6g.dpuf
Remember:
  • Your response must be between 33 and 333 words. 
  • You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post. 
  • The word itself needs to be included in your response. 
  • You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above. 
  • Only one entry per writer. 
  • If your post doesn't meet our requirements, please leave your link in the comments section, not in the linkz. 
  • Trifecta is open to everyone. Please join us. 
This week's challenge is community judged.
  • For the 14 hours following the close of the challenge, voting will be enabled on links.  
  • In order to vote, return to this post where stars will appear next to each link.  To vote, simply click the star that corresponds with your favorite post.
  • You can vote for your top three favorite posts.
  • Voting is open to everyone. 
  • You have 14 hours to vote.  It's not much time, so be diligent! We'll send out reminders on Twitter and Facebook.
  • The winners will be announced in the comments of Friday's post and will be posted in our typical fashion in the post on the following Monday.
This week's word is charm.

Or use the new Add link method ?

(Submissions will close / voting starts in 21h 24m)
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- See more at: http://www.trifectawritingchallenge.com/#sthash.pfKAby6g.dpuf
1a : to affect by or as if by magic : compel
  b : to please, soothe, or delight by compelling attraction<charms customers with his suave manner>
2: to endow with or as if with supernatural powers by means of charms; also : to protect by or as if by spells, charms, or supernatural influences
3: to control (an animal) typically by charms (as the playing of music) <charm a snake> - See more at: http://www.trifectawritingchallenge.com/#sthash.pfKAby6g.dpuf

CHARM (verb)

1a : to affect by or as if by magic : compel
  b : to please, soothe, or delight by compelling attraction<charms customers with his suave manner>
2: to endow with or as if with supernatural powers by means of charms; also : to protect by or as if by spells, charms, or supernatural influences
3: to control (an animal) typically by charms (as the playing of music) <charm a snake>
- See more at: http://www.trifectawritingchallenge.com/#sthash.pfKAby6g.dpuf
CHARM (verb)

1a : to affect by or as if by magic : compel
  b : to please, soothe, or delight by compelling attraction<charms customers with his suave manner>
2: to endow with or as if with supernatural powers by means of charms; also : to protect by or as if by spells, charms, or supernatural influences
3: to control (an animal) typically by charms (as the playing of music) <charm a snake> - See more at: http://www.trifectawritingchallenge.com/#sthash.pfKAby6g.dpuf
Here's the think for this week's writing challenge to see if you have time to join in (or just to read the other awesome responses!).
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