There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk

An autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson

Chapter 1:  I walk down the street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I fall in.  I am lost … I am helpless.  It isn’t my fault.  But it takes forever for me to find a way out.

Chapter 2:  I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  This time I pretend I don’t see it.  But I fall in again.  I can’t believe I am in the same place.  But, it isn’t my fault.  It still takes me a long time to get out.

Chapter 3: I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I see it is there.  I still fall in.  It’s a habit.  My eyes are wide open.  I know where I am and why.  It is my fault, and I accept that.  This time I know how to get out immediately.

Chapter 4:  I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  This time, I choose to walk around it.

Chapter 5:  I choose to walk down another street.