In Dark Moments

Years ago, during the winter Guru used to practise tennis shots indoors in our old Progress-Promise meeting hall. Guru used a ball machine, which would eject balls at some considerable speed, and Guru would fire them back over a net that had been temporarily erected for his practice sessions. Some of us boys would scurry behind the net collecting balls as fast as Guru could hit them.
On one particular morning, I was not in a very good consciousness, but my saving grace was that I was aware of the situation and I desperately wanted to lift myself out of this mood. I said to myself, "What I need is a good knock on the head to jolt myself out of this state." Not one second later a tennis ball came flying my way courtesy of Guru's racquet and smacked me squarely in the head. It was a perfect hit!
Guru cried out, "Sorry, sorry!" but I could detect a wry grin on his face, and I was deeply grateful for my tennis-ball illumination.

Kishore (Melbourne)