Utility

It took Walter 30 years of day-in-day-out rehearsal to let the water roll off. He'd always been a soaker, a holder, a grudge-lover, a moper. Forgive was the F-Word. Just couldn't bring himself to say it, let alone do it. Walter eventually developed the level of facility required to let go. His gnarled heart untangled; claws softened to where he could keep them neat and trim. Over the course of those 30 years, Walter's leading man exterior had become worn down and dull. There was no longer a good side to capture. The façade slid off, and he was forced to give back much of what he'd never really earned in the first place. With his pride cut down to size, Walter learned compassion was a tonic for his upset spirit. He drank it in, and felt both full and weightless. He'd hogged all the best light for far too long, and accepted with gratitude his new role as a utility player on the worldwide stage of sages and fools.