Sandy Florian’s short stories exemplify a unique combination of narratives and poems. It is a combination of incompatible things that are so uncommon in human lives. The Moment is the protagonist of Florian’s stories – the source of unique impressions and emotions. The Moment changes the lives of people in ways they cannot control. The best humans can do is to adjust their decisions, actions, feelings, and beliefs to the new demands of the Moment.
In Florian’s stories, the Moment is the central element and the protagonist of all thematic lines. The Moment enters the bedroom with a woman who lies on a full-size bed with her face up and dressed in black and blue flannel pajamas (Florian, 2010). The room has only one door and no visible continuation, including the rest of the house (Florian, 2010). The bedroom looks like it is separated from the rest of the world. The Moment plays the central role in the cemetery, where the two identical twins are walking (Florian, 2010). The Moment does not care what exactly the girls want to find; it simply enters their lives and changes them forever (Florian, 2010).
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The Moment changes human lives in ways they cannot control. The woman in the bedroom cannot escape the sense of emptiness between herself and the bedroom space (Florian, 2010). Even if she can reduce the sense of absence and hollowness, she still feels that something immaterial is present in the room (Florian, 2010). The two identical twins walking across the old cemetery cannot stop the star from falling (Florian, 2010). They cannot change the moment that they read the words “no name/born-died” on the tombstone (Florian, 2010). They cannot change their words once they have been uttered.
Once the Moment changes the characters’ lives, the best they can do is to adjust their actions and decisions to the new environment and to capture the opportunities and emotions provided by the Moment. The woman in flannel pajamas can use the emptiness of the new Moment to rethink her presence and life (Florian, 2010). The two identical twins can feel the pleasure from seeing the falling star (Florian, 2010). They can feel regret and compassion with those who lie down there under the tombstones.
Like Florian’s characters, we always feel the presence of the Moment in our lives. The Moment gives us a chance – a chance to feel, to succeed, to grow, and to improve. As for me, the Moment gives me a hope to become a better person and to behave better next time. However, I often think of the Moment as something that is quite predictable and can be planned. As a rational personality, I rarely think of unexpected events and interventions. In reality, the Moment is never planned. It changes our lives in ways that we cannot control.
The Moment brings new emotions. Just a minute ago, I was a happy person absolutely satisfied with my life. Suddenly, as the new Moment enters my room, I remember that I forgot to congratulate my dear cousin with her birthday. The Moment is here. It reminds me of what had to be done long ago. I feel miserable, guilty, and lost; and I cannot control these feelings. Just a minute ago, I felt miserable, guilty, and lost. Suddenly, another Moment enters my room to tell me that my cousin is calling me to say that she does not mind my absence during her birthday party. I feel happy and fulfilled; and I cannot control this.
Like Sandy Florian’s characters, the best we can do is to adjust our actions, feelings, and decisions, to meet the changeable demands of the Moment. When the star is falling, one of the identical twins decides to wait while the other one simply enjoys the moment (Florian, 2010). This is how two different personalities adjust to the changes brought by the Moment into their lives. In a similar vein, my life is totally about learning to be flexible and manageable. Humans cannot predict the future, but they have intuition and mind to weigh possible alternatives. Even then, the Moment breaks even the most impossible plans and brings a change no one could ever expect. Apparently, we cannot think ten steps ahead, since the Moment brings unexpected emotions. Thus, the best humans can do is to adjust their decisions, actions, feelings, and beliefs to the new demands of the Moment.
Sandy Florian’s short stories exemplify a unique combination of narratives and poems. The Moment changes human lives in ways they cannot control. The Moment brings new emotions. It changes our mood, state of mind, and psychological environment. Apparently, we cannot think ten steps ahead, since the Moment brings unexpected emotions. Thus, the best humans can do is to adjust their decisions, actions, feelings, and beliefs to the new demands of the Moment.