A Bowl of Cherries
I have an Inner Circle Friend. He is what people would generally regard as a ‘good man’. He is older than me, not old enough to be a father. More of the younger uncle who is solid but enjoys a little spice to his life. He tackles fraud in government organisations, enjoys a beer, loves his sport, a keen family man, devout and plays a part in his local church, plays musical instruments, writes poetry and every Saturday he picks up the shopping and spends an hour chatting with a housebound friend of his. He and I enjoy Italian food and a good debate as we set the world to rights. He enjoys a fierce discussion and it is all good fuel but there is never any grudge afterwards, even when I have twisted and spun in order to avoid conceding a particular point. Every time we meet up he always begins by reminding me that my life is a bowl of cherries.
“Yes HG it is bowl of cherries. Look at you. An educated man with many friends, good job, well-read, able to do as he pleases and you travel. You organise your time so you can spend time with lots of people and most of all the girls. Holy Toledo, the girls. You get through them and no mistake but you are never troubled by it are you? Sometimes I wish I was single and younger so I could join you in these adventures. You are a man comfortable in his own skin. I can see that and this means you are able to have a life which is a bowl of cherries.”
I always enjoy this little speech of his. It is important to people to recognise my elevated position and the rewards that come with it. He never displays any jealousy nor does he judge what I do (albeit of course he does not know it all). He regards my behaviours as ‘hi-jinks’ and ‘ capers’ . The preserve of the younger man with the world at his feet. I will relay the latest tale of my activities as he sips from his rioja. He laughs and shakes his head as I detail to him what I have been doing, but he is never alarmed by what I tell him. He is a big believer in living life to the full, seizing opportunities and setting the world alight. All of which I naturally do. There is only topic where he passes comment in a slightly adverse way. Children.
“So HG,” he will begin before swallowing more of his wine and lighting yet another cigarette if we are dining at his house,”when can we expect some children? All these ladies and you cannot tell me that they do not want a little HG to share the cherries with?”
“Maybe one day,” I lie since I have no intention of having any children. He is unaware I took care of that some time ago.
“Well you are in your prime so those cherries will keep on appearing, juicy and ripe, but seriously, a man should have children. I have four. Two by each wife. Children are a great comfort. Tells you that someone can bear you if they want to carry your offspring, they give you something to strive for, something to live for and then you have a legacy as you see them go into the world making their own way.”
I smile and allow him to say all of this. I hear it each time that we meet up.
“You must have met the right lady by now, surely? You have no problem attracting them with your big bowl of cherries now do you?”
“True enough but there is so much to do and sharing those cherries isn’t really on the agenda.”
“Come now,” he smiles, “you have more than enough and you should share. You should be showering your gifts on someone special and your offspring. It is the right thing to do. You have no need to worry, my lad, about sharing those cherries you know. You always have a bowl full and if you share a few around then you will always be able to pick some more won’t you?”
“There is never enough though and I have to be careful you know, there are too many who would steal my cherries from me and leave me with nothing.”
“No there isn’t,I have told you before, the cherries are there to share, not to hoard. You need to listen to me. Share and keep picking.”
I smile and let him continue with his monologue about cherries and children. He is right though I am the cherry picker. I am up on high,elevated above everything else around me and I reach those places that the little people can never reach. I can move from side to side, up and down and ensure that I always obtain the tastiest and most succulent cherries before anybody else. I can see them dark red and with that polished lustre just waiting to be picked by me and me alone. So many out there to collect in order to try and fill my bowl. If only I could figure out some way to plug the hole in my bowl, maybe then I might just be tempted to share.
26 thoughts on “A Bowl of Cherries”
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Every time I read this HG a question runs through my mind. Do you even like cherries? 🍒
I like to pop them.
Now there’s a surprise HG! 🙃
Very witty reply HG. “I like to pop them.” I am truly shaking my head on this one.
HG went through a “virgin phase”. He wrote about it somewhere, but I’ve read so much I have no idea where to direct you.
MB,
I think it is the ‘Confessions’ series?
Those were so good!
Agreed. My favourite books after Sitting Target.
Isn’t there one big Confessions book? I have one somewhere and if I recall it’s essay style
almost.
Total Confessions. It’s a paperback Lorelei.
I do have it—I reviewed it on Amazon. I get lost in the haze of all of this. I couldn’t multiply and divide until last spring. I think many things were probably also out of the question until maybe July.
Lorelei,
I have read 3 of the Confessions books but they were separate from each other. Is there also a combined version?
(I have a gap with regard to the books since, and I never have room on my phone for much extra and when I need space, Kindle is the first app to go.) I want to, eventually, collect all the paperbacks.
I enjoyed the Confessions series for the specific insight into HG’s experience.
I have this one. I’m not sure if it’s a combined volume of them all? I just remember some girl used a word and HG thought she was too dumb to know the word! It isn’t funny but it is.
Total Confessions of a Narcissist https://www.amazon.com/dp/1536969575/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mbJbEb1833890
Lorelei, yes, this is the series I read – only in the 3 separate ebook versions. I NEED to get this paperback as well someday.
It’s easy for my ADD-like brain to read because it’s short and hops from thing to thing. I’m enjoying the fog here and laying around sipping coffee. I need to go exercise and I’m failing in having the drive to do this! I’m essentially lazy today and if I keep it up only a lower lesser will come after me!
“Further Confessions” is one of my favourites because it was the first place that I read ‘The Rise and Fall of an Empire’ – which was key for me , in the beginning, to grasp the illusion that *both* the empath and the narcissist buy into. And why, especially, as Empaths, we have a hard time letting the illusion go.
I am sure you will find your mojo again, in the New Year, Lorelei. Sometimes we just need to be kind to ourselves.
I’ll look for that Whocares. It’s a good day, I’m at the gym, headed for my hair to get styled, and then going to a non-narcissist party.
Tomorrow we travel for New Years and the weather is warm. We also have a new vehicle to travel in after having the same damn car forever! It has quite a bit of zip!
Happy travels Lorelei 💙
Thank you! I am praying not to get the flu though—I was immersed in both A and B two nights ago. I’m right at the incubation period.
MB, i read about him popping the cherry in the book Sex ,he wrote about 2 ladies in that book.
He has his way with women
He sure does Pati!
Nice MB. I think I’ll skip virgins. That sounds awful.
That’s because you aren’t a narcissist Lorelei. It’s Fuel City for a Narc. Imagine the power of being given such a special gift. And that’s only one aspect. So many possibilities for fuel with virgins.
Haha MB—I was thinking more along the lines of men—like why bother!!
Is that how many cherries you have popped all in that bowl HG. ?
Hilarious !😂