Every day I walk a tightrope. I walk gingerly, for there is no room for mistakes. A mistake is impossible to recover from. The next day I pretend like it never happened. But Alas! The cracks and scars are permanent. They've even spawned their own crutch- an ever-growing list of dos and don'ts. Of what real use is a crutch to a tightrope walker? You would think practice is the answer. Believe me I do. I learn every time I fall and etch the lessons in my mind and repeat them to myself until they are rote. Of what use is my memory when I walk a new rope each day?
I am indeed the only imperfection in this perfect world I live in. This is a world where everything has already been carefully considered and a single right way has already been defined for every little thing. Transgressions are unacceptable and should not be attempted. Excuses are unheard of. Doors once closed remain closed. Others open at the right time, when they should. Everything happens for a reason and with clockwork precision. Of course you have a choice. You either do it the right way or you are left stranded, cold and shivering, the world around you a silent dark desert.
I breach boundaries, sometimes unknowingly, sometimes in an effort to push them a little- a tiny leap of faith if you will. The punishment is instant. The curtain falls for the day. Show is over folks! No second chance to cover up when I forget my lines, no witty comebacks, not even a stammered apology. Well, I guess that's life, decisive and unforgiving.
