“How can you still count yourself a knight, when you have forsaken every vow you ever swore?"

     Jaime reached for the flagon to refill his cup. "So many vows...they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws. It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other.” He took a healthy swallow of wine and closed his eyes for an instant, leaning his head back against the patch of nitre on the wall.

    

Dear girl with the bruised knees,

    I don't know what was it about you that intrigued me. Was it perhaps your simple looks or girly clothing, or possibly the manner in which you casually moved and sat , back turned against me, in the seat in front? Something must have; otherwise, I would not find myself writing about it. 

   Can't deny that having you closer gave me a chance to study you in a bit more detail. First thing, I noticed the buttons pinned to your backpack. One spelled "Kewl Gurl" and the other read a phrase in German of which I could not understand anything save for "München." You might have been a German ESOL student for all I know. 

    I also noticed far too many hints of white in your hair for someone your age, and my feet picked up the rhythm coming from those restless legs of yours. You have probably been dealing with so much lately that you, most likely without intent, are starting to show. 

   Anyhow, I wish I had intentionally missed my stop so I could have bought me some more time to gather the words and courage to approach you, or at least enough to have allowed me to stare at and wonder about you for a little longer. 

   See you next time. If next time ever comes.

Make The Ordinary Come Alive

Do not ask your children

to strive for extraordinary lives. 

Such striving may seem admirable, 

but it is a way of foolishness.

Help them instead to find the wonder

and the marvel of an ordinary life. 

Show them the joy of tasting

tomatoes, apples and pears.

Show them how to cry 

when pets and people die. 

Show them the infinite pleasure

in the touch of a hand

And make the ordinary come alive for them.

The extraordinary will take care of itself.