Damocles, or: Fortunately, Unfortunately

Watching Lemony Snickets. I watched it once before, didn't make much of an impression, except that I loved the over-the-top stage sets (or whatever you call it in movies). (And decided Jim Carry was an obnoxious SOB, although, I have to admit, he's *insanely* [nyuk nyuk] perfect as the terryingly oppressive, cruel guardian to the children.)

So I've watched it 3 or 4 times in the last few days, wondering what draws me to it just now (other than the fact that nothing else that I've ordered has come in at the library :-).

I'm guessing that it's because the kids in the movie are so freakin' SMART! I feel just like them, though I have to say I relate a bit more to the boy than to the girl - he's a reader. Though she's an inventor, and I'm an inventor too, though more in the sense of having random, mad, wacky (and wonderful) ideas constantly, just with no particular inclination to follow them through. The ideas that I actually *make* are more like - toys, or 'creations' - things out of paper and string and fabric and whatever happens to be lying around. Something pretty to look at, that moves and changes color and flashes in the light, or plays with light and shadow. Sort of like moving artwork, like mobiles and such.

(Yes, I'm a parenthetical thinker. But I do - usually - *eventually* remember and/or wander back to the place/subject I started with. Though sometimes? not. :-)

***
So anyway. Damocles.

So I'm watching this movie for the nth time, and suddenly I notice that the boat dock where the kids land to stay with their Aunt Josephine (the 3rd in a series of unfortunate attempts at finding them a guardian) is called 'Damocles Dock'.

Curious, I google Damocles. The gist is, this king named Dionysius was a really wealthy dude, and had many followers. One day, overhearing a fellow named Damocles admiring the king's charmed life, Dionysius said to Damocles, "Well, how would you like to trade places for a day?"

So Damocles became king for a day, enjoying all the luxuries and privileges of the king.

As he sat down for the evening meal, and was lifting a goblet of wine to his lips, Damocles happened to glance upward and was shocked and horrified to see a huge sword hanging from the ceiling by a single horsehair, the blade nearly touching his head.

He exclaimed about it to the king, who said, "Well, this is what my life is like. At any moment someone, anyone, really, could decide to cut that thread and end my life. So, what do you think now? Do you still wish you could have my life?"

Damocles, of course, realized that things were not as magical and easy for the king as he had believed. So he went back to his own life and was ever grateful that he didn't live a life so fraught with peril as the king's.

(I'm paraphrasing from a version I got here: http://www dot inspirationalstories.com/0/2.html. Partly trying to get better at storytelling, and was also *trying* for a shorter version. Alas. Maybe next time :-)

***
So, in the movie (Lemony Snickets), Damocles Dock suggests impending doom or disaster. A warning.

But what it made me think about was how things can turn so quickly.

Like the book, "Fortunately, Unfortunately," we used to have when I was a kid. It went something like this:

"Fred (I can't remember the guy's name) was flying along in his airplane, having a lovely time.

"Unfortunately, the motor died, and the plane began to fall.

"Fortunately, Fred had a parachute.

"Unfortunately, the parachute wouldn't open.

"Fortunately, there was a haystack directly below where Fred was falling.

"Unfortunately, there was a pitchfork sticking up from the haystack!"

And the book goes on and on in this vein, I can't remember how it comes out - whether Fred is, in the end, fortunate, or unfortunate.

***
So all that was a windup to today's story.

I'm running out of steam, so I'll try to make it short.

My car got stuck, and a Good Samaritan came along and rescued me.  My car's still sitting where it stopped, but I got home, along with all my stuff, and am here typing on my computer in my warm, cozy room in my little house.

So.  I'm grateful for the person who helped me!  And am fully aware that THINGS CAN ALWAYS GET WORSE.

Instead of worrying about them?  I'm watching this movie.  Again.  Like a good little escapist :-)