The Narrative Image

My mom lives in Portland . She's lived there for close to half a century. But she's never been to the Portland Japanese Garden . During  Portland's Spring, it is often ill-considered to depend upon non-rainy weather for outdoor events, but as the weather reports grew more and more optimistic for the weekend, I began planting the idea of a garden visit. I expected the 'ole trick knee excuse, but Mom surprised me by accepting my offer. My mom's trick knee excuse is not without corroborating  anecdotal evidence. She often (and by often I mean really often) tells the story about how, when I was an innocent baby cradled in her protective arms, her trick knee suddenly went out on her causing her to fall and somehow jettison me high into the air. Later, she reports, they managed to find me under a bed where I had evidently bounced. This story may explain some of my trust issues. It also may explain why she walks carefully, eyeing the ground as if ...