I attended a party a while back where a half dozen old friends were gathered in the backyard of one of them. As I am wont to do, I told a few stories during the course of the afternoon. Part way during one of the longer tales, drawn from some of my experiences as a father, a feeling of deja vu began to envelop me.
“I’ve told these people this story before,” I said silently to myself. And yet, every member of the group listened with rapt attention, smiled at appropriate places in the story, frowned at others, even laughed a time or two. Which led me to wonder whether or not any of them remembered that they had heard me tell this story before and not that long ago. In fact, this could easily have been the third or even the fourth time I had spun this particular yarn to my friends. Not one of them gave any hint that this was not the first time we had all gone over the facts of the matter I was discussing.
So, that I am forgetful and unable to keep track of my storytelling these days, is a given. But it may also be that my friends can’t keep my stories straight anymore either. Because they all behaved as they had never before heard even one word of my tale.
In conclusion, my friends are either forgetful, dishonest or so enthralled by my stories that they enjoy hearing them over and over. Look for me to tell you all about this again in about a month or so.
©2019 Jim Hagarty
