SHORT STORY

I’ve told this story so many times I hope you haven’t heard it or don’t mind hearing it again.  I’ll tell you, though, that it is worth repeating.  It’s about the day I came face to face with a gorilla.

         

 Many years ago, before Atlantic City, NJ was overgrown with casinos, my friend, Madeleine, and I decided to visit the new and only casino there, Resorts International.   It was a lovely summer’s day in New York, where we lived as we boarded the bus for the trip to New Jersey. We arrived in Atlantic City two hours later eager to win lots of money.  A few hours after that we were going out the casino’s front door, shock on our face and, of course, less the money we came with. 

 
“Chickie”, Madeleine said, “lets go explore the Boardwalk.”  Well, what else was there to do?  The casino had taken our money and our pockets held only the few dollars we saved for lunch.   The bus was scheduled to head back to New York in three more hours.  As we strolled the boardwalk, we enjoyed the fresh air coming off the ocean, watched the rides in the amusement park, played with the organ grinder’s monkey, bought some franks and sauerkraut, and ignored the fact that we could not afford to shop in all the fashionable stores.

 THE END OF THE BOARDWALK

 Within the hour, we reached the end of the boardwalk and spotted a large green and white striped tent surrounded by a crowd of people.  A man dressed in white and green with a megaphone stood at the flap door of the tent.  “Come one Come All”, he shouted.  “Watch the young girl turn into a gorilla.”    

 

Madeleine looked at me and laughed. I knew that look, it said, “You’re not going to fall for that are you?”  She was the sophisticated, cynical one.  I was the curious, adventurous one.  “Oh Maddy, let’s go in, it says it only fifty cents.  Before she could answer, I was at the tent door handing the megaphone man my fifty cents.   He told  us if we were pregnant or had a bad heart don’t go in.  That didn’t sound like me so I entered the tent.  Madeleine didn't follow.  Was she pregnant?

MEETING THE GORILLA

            I truly wanted to be up close so I could see how it happened.  I pushed my way to the front row where I saw a young brown-haired girl in a cage that sat on a raised stage.  As I looked up at the stage, the lights in the tent darkened and the cage with the girl started to rattle. Bright lights, similar to those on the machines in the casino, started blinking.  The cage started rattling and lo and behold in a few more seconds, the young 90-pound girl had changed into a big huge growling gorilla. 

 I was not impressed.  I did not see how it was done but I figured anyone could do a slight of eye trick so perhaps Madeleine was right.  Turning to leave I heard people screaming.  What?  I heard a big crash and more screaming.  Turning to my left, I saw what the screams were about.  Standing right beside me was a six-foot, yellow-eyed snarling gorilla staring me right in my face.  This time I was impressed.  Here was a gorilla and he looked like he wanted to eat me.  I can’t tell you what happened next, I don’t remember. What I do remember is standing outside the tent, out of breath and watching people laughing and taking pictures of me while I tried not to faint. .  Later Madeleine told me that it wasn’t really a gorilla but some man dressed up like one.  

WHAT THE GORILLA TAUGHT ME

      The reason I like to retell this story is because I learned good lessons that day and I want you to hear it.  As of this telling I never found out how that trick was turned but I do know that now every time I face a gorilla (a bad situation) in my life I realize two things.  First, it is what and how we think that brings on the Gorilla.  Secondly, if the Gorilla appears in my life, I tell myself that the situation is not as bad as it seems.  It’s probably a gorilla dressed up expressly to upset me and with a combination of some sincere affirmations, meditation and prayer I can turn it back into a 90-pound brown haired girl

By the way, Madeline was not pregnant. Years later I found out the hard way that she had a bad heart.  Unfortunately, she passed away far too early, not having the chance to face too many life-changing gorillas.   Bon Jour, Maddy.