Why Life Catches You Off Guard Part I

Eve Plummer hated her name.

“You are named after the mother of life,” her grandmother encouraged.

“And the one who is blamed for the ills of mankind and the pain of birth,” she complained.

“One day you will be happy to be named after her,” her grandmother warned.

Thirty-five years later Eve stood on the stage in the community center her company built ten years ago. Staring into the eyes of many children, the pain, hunger, and desperation pulled onto her heartstrings.

Eve battled with the childhood memories of hunger and hopelessness.

Her eyes scan the audience again, like a searchlight in the darkness. Then she shared, “my grandmother often preached to us as children ‘when we plan ahead, life can never catch us off guard.’”

A familiar voice shouts, “are you here to help us? Or to criticize us for being stupid and not planning ahead?”

“Yeah,” another familiar voice agrees. “You made it. We didn’t. Don’t belittle us.”

The memories of their last fight more than twenty years ago, pull strings on Eve’s heart, like someone playing a guitar, along with pain. Circling her brain for the best answer. A child stood up and said, “My name is Anna, and I am nine years old. I want to know how I can stop life from catching me off guard.”

Another child stood up saying, “I am Paul, and I am ten. I am always hungry and am short of everything a child needs, even though I am an only child. That means life has caught my mother off guard. How do I stop that cycle?”

“My name is Nia, and I am twelve years old. I want to be a doctor so that I can find the cure for the cancer that took my mother’s life last year. Life has already caught my family off guard, because they can’t afford to feed us. I want to learn how to stop life from catching my generation off guard.”

Before Eve could go on, another child stood up, “I am Eva, and I am fourteen years old. I have dreams of becoming a teacher to educate my generation. That is an impossible dream because life has caught my family off guard.”

“I am Victor,” a child in a wheelchair with a tiny voice said while wheeling himself closer to the stage. “I am eight. Life has caught my family off guard and that has contributed to me not being able to walk after an automobile accident a year ago. I want to be a doctor too, to help children like me whose parents are caught off guard by life!”

“I am Nelly,” a child with a cane slowly walked towards the stage with an adult's assistance. “I am fifteen and lost my sight six months ago. Life has caught my family off guard, taking away my dreams. Is it too late to stop life from catching me off guard with whatever resources I have?”

Another child eased towards her, using sign language that says, “I am Jason. I was born deaf, and no one knew until it was too late. I think life has caught my family off guard. Someone should have noticed that I was different. I want to know how to stop life from doing the same to me and others. So, I can prevent history from repeating itself.”

Tears flooded Eve’s eyes as children after children stood up telling their hopes and dreams demanding ways to prevent life from catching them off guard.

Did life catch you off guard?

Thank you for reading this piece. I hope you enjoy it.