help...

I walked through the wildwood, and what did I see
But a unicorn with his horn stuck in a tree,
Cryin’, “Someone please help me before it‘s too late.”
I hollered, “I’ll free you.” He hollered back, “Wait--
How much will it hurt? How long will it take?
Are you sure that my horn will not scratch, bend, or break?
How hard will you pull? How much must I pay?
Must you do it right now or is Wednesday okay?
Have you done this before? Do you have the right tools?
Have you graduated from horn-savin’ school?
Will I owe you a favor? And what will it be?
Do you promise that you will not damage the tree?
Should I close my eyes? Should I sit down or stand?
Do you have insurance? Have you washed your hands?
And after you free me--tell me what then?
Can you guarantee I won’t get stuck again?
Tell me when. Tell me how.
Tell me why. Tell me where….”

I guess that he’s still sittin’ there.

i'm not sure when i was first introduced to shel silverstein books - i believe it was in elementary school...maybe 3rd grade?  any old way, i fell in love with his original poems, quirky illustrations & his books sit on the shelf in my office to this day.

this poem, "help!" takes on new meaning at this point in my life...both personally and professionally.  sometimes i am the one walking through the woods hollering "i'll help you" - while other times i am the unicorn with his horn stuck in a tree asking "how much will it hurt? how long will it take? are you sure that my horn will not scratch, bend or break?...and after you free me--tell me what then? can you guarantee i won't get stuck again?" 


at one point or another, we all become attached to moments associated with people or experiences that keep us "stuck" in conceptualized constructs - our perception allows us renegotiate what "happiness" means - what "happiness" feels like.  and through this continuous recalibration of what "happiness" is, we create a tolerance for the status quo & stay stuck...
are you a unicorn with his horn stuck in a tree?
if so, it's time to get help...time to be free...

peace & bliss,
amy