I was thinking again about why I do this tonight. There’s nothing like being outed to make you think about your habits. NO, NOT THAT KIND OF “OUTING”, not that there is anything wrong with that. (Line borrowed from Jerry Seinfeld, without permission.) I was outed as a blogger. To my surprise, someone not of blood relation is actually reading this thing. I was surprised by my…
Camera number one shows the layout of the scene. It’s a retirement party. Everyone is saying goodbye to a Department of Corrections cohort. We are outdoors, in someone’s front yard. I am between conversations, observing the crowd from a lawn chair in the middle of the yard. Beth is walking around aimlessly, but not being disruptive. She is the only child at the party. Cameral number…
It was father’s day, and our meal at the Olive Garden was wrapping up. The refill I ordered ten minutes ago was delivered to the table. Suddenly, I wasn’t thirsty. Feeling fidgety, and seeing two glasses set before me – one glass full and another empty, I let my fingers do their own thing. I took both straws in one hand and placed them in the full glass. I put my finger firmly…
I was watching a new show on television the other night. The main character of the show was explaining to his audience that he often thinks of his life as a movie. It struck a cord with me. I often think of my life as a story, a boring story; but a story none the less. I am not necessarily interested in earning a lot of money. I don’t think I yearn for attention. I don’t seek thrills.
I hate it when things don’t work like they should. You show me something of mine that doesn’t quite work right, even if it works mostly o.k., and I’ll show you something I’ll fuss over more than a mamma and her new born baby. If it occurs to you that something is bothering me now then something is working right for you. About six months ago I bought an auto power adapter…
Listening to music, typing what ever comes to mind. The music drives your fingers to a beat. Nothing in particular comes to mind, but it doesn’t matter. There’s a rhythm. Words are spelled wrong. Punctuation is missed. My pounding fingers on the keyboard must be bothering someone. Normally no one can stand my drumming, now I’m doing it constantly, but no one says a thing. My…
This is the way I prefer to travel. I’m in my own world, a cool breeze from the air-conditioner blowing in my face, fingers caressing my keyboard in musical world of my own. My eyes are closed. My wife is talking to her mother in the front seat. My father in law and daughter are watching a movie in the second row. Me? I’m sitting in the last row by myself. It has the least leg room of…
Put yourself in a scene with four other people. Place yourself off to one side, able to observe the others unobtrusively. Now remove all of the audio. Cheryl is looking at her mother, mouthing the occational phrase. When she’s not using it for speech she’s using it to cannibalize her fingers. Cheryl’s mother is driving. Her eyes are obscured by dark sunglasses, but you can sense…
There is something to be said for portability. I carry a Palm OS handheld nearly everywhere I go. Being able to keep the books I’m reading right there on my handheld, nearly everywhere I go, has been pretty cool. The downside? I have an interesting book with me nearly everywhere I go. Ask yourself this: would you rather work or read that cool book that you can barely put down? That’s a…