July 31, 2011

Something Wonderful: The Blue Bottle

timebottle.jpgSome years back I wrote about my bottle of blue gotten in Pelom's Time Shop in Black Mountain, North Carolina:

In time, if the time is right, Pellom will glance up at you from behind his bench, his green eyeshade shadowing his eyes, and say, "What can I get you?"

Not "What are you looking for?," or "How can I help you?," but "What can I get you?"

You'd be well advised to take him at his word and say, "I'd like to buy some more time.
If your request is timely, Pellom will nod and fetch that small cloud-blue glass-stoppered bottle from the shelf behind him and bring it over to the counter and put it down in front of you with a sharp, satisfying clack on the glass of the counter. Looking into it all you will see is, towards the center, the faintest mist made from the color out of space and inside that, towards the core of the mist, a shovel of stars.

It was an odd bottle with odder contents as you can see. Or perhaps, as you might remember. Don Sensing remembered a few weeks ago when he found himself in Black Mountain, North Carolina. He walked into Pelom's Time Shop:
There Mr. Pellom was, just as expected. And as you can see, one thing he has plenty of is time.

apellomintheshop.jpg
Time is everywhere in the Time Shop. (It is a real place, you know.) A gray-headed man was standing near the door facing the right wall, manipulating some time when I walked in. He turned slightly toward me and said hello.
They chatted a bit, as people do in small shops of small towns, and then as Sensing turned to go Pelom asked him:
"What can I get you?"

I said nothing for two heartbeats, then spoke slowly. "I'd like to buy some more time."

There was no shelf behind him. He reached into his pocket and produced a small, cloud-blue, glass-stoppered bottle. "Take this," he said, "and look inside."

What happened when Sensing looked inside his blue bottle?

Something wonderful. I'll let him tell you the rest at Sense of Events: The time of your life. It will make your time better.

Posted by Vanderleun at July 31, 2011 2:08 PM
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"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.

Now more than ever, Time Enough for Love.
As the shadows lengthen, as the darkness is growing, as the hopes of youth begin to fade, as the anger on the streets becomes more palpable, still Time Enough for Love.

Posted by: David at July 31, 2011 6:13 PM

Funny you should mention that. I just bought a copy.

Posted by: vanderleun at July 31, 2011 6:53 PM

Coincidentally (or not) I preached my post as my message this morning.

Thank you for your kind words, Gerard.

Posted by: Donald Sensing at July 31, 2011 7:00 PM

Gerard and Rev Sensing. What a wonderful essay. I have been going over memories of my youngest son who died recently, thinking if only I had more time with him. You have convinced me that I can honor his memory most by being more loving, and giving more time to my remaining children and friends. Thank you for reminding me what is important in this life.

Posted by: Lois Jones at July 31, 2011 7:17 PM

Timely ... Thanks for sharing it.

Posted by: DeAnn at August 8, 2011 7:59 PM

Timely ... I'm happy to see this tonight. Thanks for sharing it.

Posted by: DeAnn at August 8, 2011 8:00 PM

I am informed, I trust reliably, that there is a fellow named Vanderleun who works in a shop close by Mr. Pelom's Time Shop.

Interesting.

A coincidence? I think not.

And yes, Gerard, Everyman's people are Everywhere.

Posted by: Ed McCabe at August 10, 2011 12:43 PM

Indeed there is. One of my brothers.

Posted by: vanderleun at August 10, 2011 1:40 PM

i decide originally and can''t return to any a son in the community, but saw your a son, it is what must return that i tell the oneself this son!

Posted by: 71nz.taobao at September 13, 2012 9:58 PM