The light post monster

By Vanessa Garcia

Opinion Page Editor

 

I was the most timid child. I would not walk in the hallways with the lights off. I refused to sleep in my own room. I chose to sleep on the floor in my parents’ bedroom. Through the window every night, I watched as a light post in the alley flickered off. I always panicked when the light went out.

Instead of sleeping, I would concentrate on the light post. I wished it to stay lit. My father caught onto my fascination with the flickering light post. He explained why it flickered on and off during the night. When he told me, I wished he hadn’t.

A monster was sitting on top of the light post.

The light post monster had bat wings, two feet, two arms, claws and a dragon head. It sat on the light post during the night turning the light on and off to scare me. It was the one keeping me up at night, he said. Its only reason of existence was to scare me.

Every night, my father told me the story and every night, my thoughts focused on the light post monster.

I was terrified of the light post monster.

My father was teaching me a lesson that I didn’t grasp until years later. He wanted me to understand that I have no reason to be afraid. Now I see that he wanted me to look the light post monster in its dragon eyes, smile and have an undisturbed sleep.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.