Why Promise?

Haven’t you ever asked yourself, in the last six months, Why Promise?

I do know some of you personally, so perhaps you already know the tale. Others I have never met or spoken with. So for the sake of simplicity, I will act as though we all just met in the Sunday morning reading room at the local library, and it’s story time.

It all started out one day, long, long,looooonng ago when a bright-cheeked and optimistic young redhead set out into the world to find love, adventure, Peter Murphy (see previous blog) and buckets of cash, just for being wonderful. She spent several years struggling and flailing about, which is really what “adventure” is called by grown-ups, but finally had enough money and determination to travel OverSeas. To the faraway, exotic, Europa. The trip consisted of exploring 10 countries in 3 months. The route had been carefully planned, the initial hostels to stay in for the first month called and reserved, and the money carefully placed in easy accounts to access while in bizarre and unfamiliar Europ-landia. (Obviously our girl had no idea.)

Ahem! So she finally reached goal of getting to said Strange Place, and was so freaked out about the strange language, the scary people, and the new environment, she promptly called her mother, cried for 3 hours, and refused to leave the airport.

Her mom calmed her down, and was truly helpful. So the girl went to her first hostel, and met a friend named Julia. Julia and the girl traveled together for several weeks, both sharing about their experiences, and bonding. Julia taught the girl that women walk in Europa holding hands, and linking arms. Julia taught her Spanish, and how to get an entire team of rugby players to flirt with you. You know, the essentials in traveling. After meeting Julia, the girl had a much easier time.

Her travels, internally and externally, changed her life forever. Learning, expanding, growing, and contracting was not unlike birth. It was at times terrible, heart-breaking, and furious like a storm, and at other times, poetic, reverent, and classic, like a waltz.

So one day, many years later, sitting with her Best Friend at Burning Man, Best Friend and girl were trying to think of a good “playa” name. A playa name is a nickname that is relevant to you, but one that is easy to remember as well. Best Friend said,”So what in your life are you the most proud of?” and the girl answered,

“I kept a promise to myself. It took 5 years, and I nearly gave up, and the to say the trip itself was awful would not be a stretch..but you know what? I came back with a singular feeling in my heart and soul..one of satisfaction,  and self-respect. Promises to oneself are easy to break, especially since we rarely tell others about it. But when you do keep them…man! does that feel good!”

Or something like that.

The Best Friend said, “Well, Promise-keeper is sort of long. How about Promise?”

And the girl and the Best Friend tried it out all night, calling her that. And it stuck. And it fit. and people asked her to make them, and she embraced that.

So here is your conclusion ,as to how one girl, became Promise.

Related Reading

• Promises’ poems
• Babymania