All the king's horses and all the king's men...

When Humpty Dumpty fell off his wall, did he have a Life Alert? How did the king's men know he had fallen?

Perhaps Humpty was trying to get away from it all. But he was never truly ALONE, and that's too bad. I am starting to realize that simply sitting on a wall with no one next to me doesn't mean I'm in true solitude. The king's men have their trusty spotting scopes trained on my every move. And the king's horses are ready to ride at the drop of a hat.

I now look forward to Monday nights at the rink. Oh, don't get me wrong, the stands are still filled with ice and hell's flood gates often open up. But Monday nights are different. A very select group of us hold our own private meetings at a local business establishment. There, we enjoy some regional fare and good conversation...it passes the time. Unfortunately, in order to pass that time, we miss out on the actual events taking place at the rink.

Coach Nice Guy always has things under control, so my worries are not with the coaching. My worry is what leads me to need that true solitude. As of late, my Wall is cracking. His typical demeanor of strength and confidence are showing signs of weakness and things are crumbling down all around him. I'm afraid these may not be typical teenager cracks...there is something more...something deeper.

My Wall has issues.

I have come to realize that my life is just like Humpty Dumpty's. He didn't fall off his wall out of carelessness. Humpty's wall was cracking and the only thing he could do to stop the total collapse was to take the weight off.

This week, a new mason will check out my Wall. Cracks will be examined and maybe even some support beams will be added. Until then, my solitude is partial...the king's horses and the king's men will stand guard.