From Snowbird to Early Bird

 

I got lost looking for the Bermuda Triangle.  I went up to the artic and discovered I was going in circles.   I wouldn’t have made a very good explorer.   I tried experimenting with chemistry once.  My cure for hiccups had way too many side effects and it turned out that my hair growth cream actually caused hiccups.

Throughout my life I’ve never known what I wanted to be.  I have tried many, many things, but nothing seemed to fit.  I was a fireman afraid of heights, I joined search and rescue but had no sense of direction.  I tried being a factory worker but was never really happy with what I had brought in my lunch. Same old thing, every day, blah, blah, blah.

Then one day I hit upon retirement.  Eureka!  This seemed a perfect fit.  No managers, no directors, not surrounded by employees, time clocks or dress codes.  Hey!  This was amazing.  I was left to write all day, every day.  I could write stage plays, stories, both long and short.  I could dabble in poetry and maybe even start a blog.  I was suddenly surrounded by other retirees.  These were my kind of people, completely unsupervised, free to wander the golf courses, or cluster around the hostess stand.

I’m just sorry it has taken so long for me to find it.  Nobody talked about this in high school.  My guidance counselor was a failure. 

 

Not much thicker than a piece of paper.

 

I’ve always found it amazing that a very thin strip of paint along the center of the road can keep two speeding cars from hitting each other head-on.

The odds are not really in your favor.  Many things enter into the equation.  Mechanical malfunctions with either vehicle, visual distractions, sudden appearance of animals, mental exhaustion or fatigue, cell phone distractions, children in the car with you, night with its on-coming headlights, or potholes, and don't forget blinding sunlight.

It is amazing we get from here to there.  Now technology wants to remove the human factor with self-driving cars.  This gives us an entirely new set of possible failures like, a programming glitch, a failed computer chip, an errant spark, or driving through a puddle and splashing water into the electronics.  Not to mention, removing the human factor also takes away any possibility of sound judgement, choice and reflex.  Never mind, sound judgement went out the window when you bought the car.

 

As always, opposing views are always welcome.

For Sale - as is.

 

Not the best architect in his class.
The amount of space between the walls
was not apparent on the blueprint, but
after the house was built,  
the second door wouldn't even open.

Solid Shadows

 

On his way to Oblivion

 

It isn’t that his head was empty, but her words rattled around inside as if it were hollow.  As each phrase echoed, it stung just a little.  As little sisters went, she seemed more skilled than most at taunting her little brother, never realizing the damage she was inflicting.  To her, it was just another day filled with playtime.  Meanwhile, little Scooter could feel his self-worth getting smaller and smaller, eventually seeing himself as an insignificant speck, awaiting a ride on the dustpan.

As luck would have it, fate sometimes intervenes, and just yesterday, little Scooter discovered a small passageway in the back of the pantry.  Often, he would hide in the pantry just before his sister got home from school.  So far, she had never thought of looking in there for him.  He felt safe there, even though once the door was closed it was quite dark.  

It was actually an accident, bumping into the back wall.  When he did, it swung open.  It surprised him as well as opening a sliver of light.  He could clearly see into the space and it didn’t seem a bit scary or dirty, it was just a space that appeared to lead someplace else.  He liked it and quickly scooted in, closing the secret door behind him.  Once inside, it sounded different.  Noises from the furnace couldn’t be heard, and his eyes quickly adjusted to the light.  How cool is this, he thought to himself.

***

 To be continued