Staying Out of the Taboo Zone

King Kodo was one homesick Gorilla.  His keepers were worried about his depression.  He was missing his old zoo.  They installed a tightrope to cheer him up.  Surprise!  He climbed up on top and walked the tightrope rather than hang from it.  That's what I do every morning when I wake up.  I balance myself on the tightrope above the taboo zone and put one foot in front of the other.  Visitors from far and near visit the zoo and observe my playful antics, wondering, will he ever fall off the tightrope?

It was easy to walk the tightrope five years ago when no one was around.  I woke up, picked a topic, and wrote a story.  I did my best to keep it simple.  No one at my day job knew I was a writer.  I published in order to honor a promise I made to God – to share all the good he is doing in my life.  Family members pleaded with me to keep them off the grid.  So, I made a list of taboo subjects.  No family stories without permission, no politics, no specific religious denominations, and no stories about my day job.  There is a strict "no media" rule at my day job.  I developed a Clark Kent/Superman persona.  Then, one day a co-worker walked up to me and said, "I heard you're a writer."  News travels fast in small towns.  Every day it gets harder and harder to stay out of the taboo zone.  King Kodo sure makes it look easy.  As for me, I'll keep practicing until I get it right.