My Monster and Me

One bad, mad, sad day, a monster came into my life and stayed. It was huge, ugly, scary. I hated it.

Some days the monster would get on my face. I would close my eyes shut, so I wouldn’t see its horrible face and figure.

‘Go away, disappear!,’ I would say. But with my eyes closed, I couldn’t see anything at all.

Other days the monster would speak in my ears. I would try not to listen to its terrible threats and lies.

‘Shut up, please!,’ I would beg. But with my ears shut, I couldn’t hear anything at all.

Sometimes the monster walked right ahead of me, and slowed me down.

‘Come on, get out of my way!,’ I would repeat over and over.

Other times the monster walked right behind me, pressuring me.

‘Don’t push me, I don’t want to go so fast!,’ I would yell.

When riding my bike, the monster would get on my handlebar, making me take wrong turns.

‘Oh, no! I didn’t want to go that way!,’ I would cry.

Many nights the monster would keep me awake. Other nights I had mean monster nightmares.

The huge, ugly, scary monster would be with me all the time, when I was alone, and when in a crowd. The monster would follow me to school, to the park, even to the bathroom!

Once I tried to get rid of the monster by jumping in a pool. But the monster dove with me.

I tried to ditch the monster by moving far away. But it followed me all the way.

I changed my looks to confuse the monster. Yet the monster wasn’t fooled.

Eventually, I understood. I could not eliminate, exterminate, or do away with the monster. The monster was in my life to stay.

So, I decided to make a deal with the monster.

‘If I’m stuck with you, then you will be my monster. You can hang around, but I’m in charge,’ I said.

Little by little, the monster shrunk to the size of a small mouse. It went from MEGA-MONSTER to mini-monster.

From then on I just carry my monster in my backpack or in my pocket. I keep my eyes and ears open. I walk at my own pace. I decide when and where to make my turns.

When my monster tries to get on my face, speak in my ears, slow me down, push me fast, or make me take wrong turns, I send it back to where it belongs.

I don’t feed my monster too much, so it doesn’t get too heavy to carry. And I stay away from other monsters, just in case. I wouldn’t want my monster to mate with another monster and end up with many more monsters!

I’ve come to learn and accept that everyone has one or more monsters. Some people live frightened, fleeing from their monsters. Others spend their lives battling their monsters. And yet some have come to befriend their monsters.

One bad, mad, sad day, a monster came into my life and stayed. It was huge, ugly, scary. I hated it.

I still have an ugly monster. But it is much smaller, and not as frightening. I am learning to live with my monster.