A MOMENT IN TIME
(a naval officer, a rotten grape, a TV Studio)
“Welcome back to A Moment in Time. I’m Carol Anderson. Our next story is about a moment in the life of Captain Jonathan Dally whose experiences in the naval services have had a tremendous impact on his life. Captain Dally, welcome to the show.”“Thank you Carol. It’s a pleasure to be here.” “As you know, Captain, A Moment in Time is a show about moments of our lives that change us, how we feel, how we approach life. I believe you have experienced just such a moment.” “Yes, I did, and in a most unusual way.” “Sometimes we expect these moments to come like a lightning bolt out of the sky, but often they are little things, things we might otherwise seem inconsequential. Was that the case with you?” “In a way, yes. At one point in my career, I ended up in a lifeboat completely alone for five days. The emergency rations had been washed overboard, and I was left with only one bottle of water, and oddly enough, a cluster of grapes I had put into my jacket pocket just before the accident.” “Adrift on a lifeboat - that must provide an incredible setting for life-changing moments.” “True enough. I had a lot of time to think. There wasn’t much else to do.” “What was it that changed your life, Captain Dally?” “It was the grapes, ma’am. They were all I had to eat. I didn’t know how long it would be before I would be rescued, so I rationed them carefully. But all too quickly, they were all gone except one. I decided to wait until the next day to eat it, leaving it in my pocket. All day, my thoughts were drawn to that single grape. My mouth watered as I thought about biting into it, grape juice squirting through my teeth. In a sense, that grape gave me hope for another day.” “Incredible. A single grape gave you hope.” “Yes, ma’am, it sure did. When the sun rose the next day, I started to reach into my pocket. But I knew it was going to be another long, long day, so I decided to wait until nightfall. That grape would be my reward for surviving another day in the torturous sun. By this time, my thoughts were wandering. I was somewhat out of it due to the heat and dehydration, but my mind kept coming back to that grape in my pocket.” “And when night came?” “Well, when night came, I thought about it and decided to wait one more night. In the morning, when I knew I’d survived the night, I would eat it. It was a terribly long night. The wind had come up, tossing my lifeboat around. I couldn’t sleep at all. I was too busy holding on for dear life. At long last, the wind died down and the sun rose.” “And did you eat the grape?” “I reached into my pocket and pulled out the grape. I stared at it, absolutely stunned.” “Why?” “All the time I’d spent waiting for it, putting it off, thinking about it, even dreaming about it, and all I had left to show for it was a rotten grape squishing in my hand.” “Rotten!” “Yes, ma’am. It had rotted. It was completely inedible. I sat there staring at the grape. I couldn’t believe it had rotted on me. I felt betrayed. All this time I had my hopes pinned on that grape, and it rotted on me. I threw the thing overboard and laid down in the bottom of the boat, ready to give up.” “Obviously, you didn’t give up completely, Captain. After all, you are here with us today.” “Two hours later, a ship just happened to pass close enough to see my boat, and I was rescued. I was dehydrated and undernourished, but I bounced back rather quickly.” “But, Captain Dally. How did that rotten grape change your life?” “Ms. Anderson, from that moment on, I never put anything off. I’ve tasted, touched, smelled, and done everything I could as it came to me. Never again will I put something off only to find that it was too late to enjoy it. Life is now, and I enjoy it now. “An interesting moment, Captain. Thank you for sharing it with us. This is Carol Anderson, and you’ve been watching A Moment in Time, with Captain Jonathan Dally. Please join us again next week.” “Cut,” the director called out. The cameras clicked off, and the hot lights dimmed. People scurried into motion filling the small television studio with activity. Carol and Jonathan stood up smiling at each other. “Thank you again, Jonathan. I enjoyed your story.” “It was fun telling it, Carol.” Carol turned toward her dressing room. Jonathan’s voice stopped her, “Carol?” “Yes,” she turned back to face him. “Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?” Jonathan asked. Carol raised her eyebrows, surprised by the abrupt invitation. She looked at him quizzically. “Remember the grape, Carol. I’d like to get to know you better, and remember, I don’t put anything off.” Carol laughed, “No, I guess you don’t.” “Well?” Carol was silent for a moment before looking up and into his eyes, “Maybe I can learn a lesson from your grape, Captain Dally.” Jonathan grinned, “Well, is that a yes?” “That’s a yes,” Carol smiled, turning towards her dressing room. Jonathan flashed a wide grin, watching her walk away. He reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the grapes he always kept there. Still grinning, he popped it into his mouth.
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