Intro: Pounding bass note and a stirring fanfare of horns. Welcome to another edition of Things to Think about. Here's Stacy. The horns continue with a keyboard note held.
Relaxing piano music is in the background.
Welcome to the Things to Think About podcast, where we use fables and fairy tales to come to deeper truths about our subconscious world. I'm Stacy Casson and today's story explores the power of words. Have you ever felt the release of saying something out loud? The thing you never dreamed you could say and when you did, it was not that bad. We will delve into speaking truth to power in a tale I call, “Little Mouse”. And now, get comfortable and relax. Take a deep breath in. And exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. And if you'd like, you can slowly close your eyes.
Once upon a time, there was a mouse named Gertrude. Gertrude had a secret. She was not the nice and timid little mouse that everyone believed her to be. Gertrude was in a near-constant state of rage. Why? We can’t talk about that. Instead, she smiled and simpered and stubbornly soldiered on. Instead of sharing her secret, she allowed it to build a complicated warren in her mind. Every tunnel led to a mounting sense of discomfort and shame. She thought it was safely ensconced in her thoughts. What she did not realize was that by not speaking it, the secret had begun to warp her.
She never looked in mirrors for long. The smile in her reflection barely concealed her bared teeth. Instead, she busied herself organizing cheese drives and helping the younger mice with their studies. Gertrude always made time for her friends and was renowned for her sage advice. “If only, I could take my own advice,” she said to herself. Meanwhile, the secret grew and grew. Gertrude took to taking solitary walks in the fields. The crickets were always throwing loud parties so she would listen to the driving music from a hiding spot near their cave. It was during these moments that she would throw herself into the dance expressing her fury where no one could see.
“Are you okay?” asked one of her friends, Olivia. “Yes, I’m fine. Why do you ask?” Olivia responded, “You haven’t come out with us on the raids in quite some time.” “That’s because I’m stuck here making everything sparkling and magical,” Gertrude thought to herself. She simply said, “I know. I’m sorry, I miss the raids too, but I have been very busy running the cheese drives. The kids try and help, but they end up getting in the way. You know with the drought the new moms are finding it hard to feed their babies. You raiders are incredible and are keeping the community going.” “You do so much too, Gertrude, it's just not the same without you,” she said and scampered off.
“Oh, we miss you miss you so much,” Gertrude sniped sarcastically in her head. “No, you miss me being a useful idiot,” she bitterly thought. What Gertrude did not want to admit was that she was scared. Ever since the cat got Jerry on that fateful raid, her heart was just not into it. She kept busy with her community service and working the fields with the other mice. There was nothing wrong with an honest day’s labor. She missed the days of gourmet cheese from when she and Jerry worked the raids together. She felt the tears gathering, blurring her vision. She needed to get out of here. In her haste to escape, she stumbled back into Olivia. “Whoa, are you okay?” “No. No, I’m not. I’m scared and I don’t want to go on the raids and now you know I’m a coward.” Olivia looked at her with compassion. “Oh Gertrude, I’m scared too. We all miss Jerry and have been giving you your space. I’m here for you if ever you need to talk.” Gertrude felt brave for the first time in months.
We often shy away from the parts of ourselves that we are not proud of. Sometimes saying how we feel out loud not only frees you but gives other people permission to speak their own truth. If you are not ready to speak, what about writing it down? And now you can take a deep breath in and exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. Deep breath in and exhale. And when you're ready, wiggle your toes. Wiggle your fingers and slowly open your eyes. If you're enjoying this podcast, please tell a friend.
Closing: Closing jazzy keyboard and thrumming bass. Hope you enjoyed today's segment. Tell a friend. See you next time. Music fades
