Where With All

This is the inventory moment. What tools, resources, grit, and soul does he really have? He counts what matters and throws out the rest.

"The Trap Door at Turtle Pond"

Hi there. My name’s Jake—Jake Puddlejump. Yes, that’s my real name, and yes, it’s been a long, soggy road. Let me tell you about the time I found a trap door under Turtle Pond and learned a thing or two about wherewithal (we’ll get to that word).

It all started on a Tuesday. Tuesdays are sneaky days. You think they’re harmless, but bam—next thing you know you’ve lost your lunch, your bike tire’s flat, and your best friend moved away to Nebraska.

So there I was, standing by the pond behind old Mrs. Trumble’s house. Staring at my muddy reflection, feeling lower than a worm’s belly at a limbo contest. Everything felt broken—like the universe had spilled its coffee on my blueprints.

That’s when I heard a voice. Not from the sky, not from my walkie-talkie, but from Lily. Lily is my neighbor, and she’s got the wisdom of a hundred-year-old raccoon. She said, “Close your eyes, Jake. There’s a door inside you. Right under where all the junk piles up.”

Weird, right? But I figured I had nothing to lose. I closed my eyes.

And wouldn’t you know it—splash! I tripped over a root and landed in the pond. Cold water, nose full of algae, and something clicked. Or maybe it clunked. Either way, I felt it—a trap door under the water, right beneath the muck of my mood.

I dove. I mean, I really dove. Into the dark, into the fear, and into something that felt like truth.

Down there, I found things I’d lost: courage, laughter, my favorite sock, and this word I’d only ever seen in spelling tests—wherewithal. It means the grit to keep going, even when your shoelaces break and life throws math homework at your face.

I swam back up different. Stronger. Not taller—still four-foot-nine—but stronger in the kind of way you don’t see in mirrors.

From then on, when the world felt heavy, I’d whisper, “I’ve got wherewithal,” and bam—no more sinking. I caught fish with my bare hands (okay, they were goldfish crackers, but still), fed my soul, and even helped Mrs. Trumble rescue her cat from the roof.

The Big Lesson

Sometimes, the only way out is through—through the muck, the mess, and the muddy water of your heart. And under all that? There's a door, just waiting to be opened.

Easy-to-Repeat Proverb:

“When life gets murky, find your wherewithal and dive deep.”