Conflict Resolution

 

One of the things I know about myself is that I enjoy music.  My tendency is to play music while I sit here and create stories and various posts for this blog. 

The conflict arises when the lyrics fill my thinking, leaving not much room for creative inspiration. 

Apparently, I have a very limited bandwidth of brain cells.  If I wish to do one thing well, I need to eliminate the distraction of music.  But then, I find a quiet room just as distracting. 

This post is a request for suggestions.  Any reasonable solution will be considered.  What do I do when sound as well as its absence is a distraction?

 

 

 

ZC – in search of an answer.

 

 

 

 

Time for a Change

 

Once upon a time, long, long ago they were made from steel.  They were solid, they were substantial and affordable.  They had personalities and were fun to drive.  A small fender-bender wouldn’t total them out.  

None of them were shaped like a box or boasted of cargo space.  They were free of computer chips, warning buzzers and cameras.  It didn’t take sophisticated diagnostics to know what went wrong and it could be repaired at home, sometimes with basic kitchen utensils.

OK, so maybe that last part wasn’t true, but progress has obliterated everything else.  Today, plastic parts and computer chips fill our box-shaped transportation.  They are lightweight, flimsy and uninspiring duplicates of everyone else’s vehicle.   Hardly what anyone would consider fun.

They are loaded with warning lights, buzzers, illuminated back-up lines showing what you’re doing wrong.  There are seat restraints, air bags, side-impact bars and crumple zones.  And most of them are far beyond affordable to the average person. 

What I’m suggesting here is that we redefine the word, progress.

 

 

 

zc

 

 

At the Movies

 

Humans fill the time between birth and death with make-believe.  We pretend in an effort to entertain.  Those really good at it become rich, and not unlike the barnacles clinging to the hull of a ship, there are thousands who attach themselves to the process.

There are extras, and camera operators, sound engineers, special effects, still photographers, assistants and the list goes on forever, not to forget marketing and distribution.

Beyond that, there are the trinkets associated with the movie.  They make millions from the people who have watched the movie and don’t really want it to end.

As long as there is adventure, Jack Sparrow will live on.  He’ll never get seasick, never be wounded and always escape.

 

Guilty - with an explanation

 

I’ve noticed that many of my posts have become complaints or whiney.  My breakfast cereal is my only excuse.  It is Rice Krispies.  The moment I add milk, I hear the sound of bacon sizzling or steak frying.  Consequently, that snap, crackle and pop sound gets me immediately disappointed.  “Sorry Zobostic, it’s just cold soggy cereal again.”   

Life gets off to a better start when I just stick to coffee and a donut.  My outlook improves and consequently so do these posts. No sound effects, just quiet chewing and an occasional sip.  Suddenly I have a bright, cheery outlook.  My adjectives perk-up, nouns tend to dress better.  I even start adding punctuation again.  It truly does make a difference.

 

 zc

 

In the huddle - before the snap

 

Change for the Meter

 

It isn’t enough that we pay taxes, accumulate bills simply by running the house, or get charged made-up fees for things that should be included in the price, but on top of that we are charged to park our car. 

Even Disneyland says, “Yes, our prices are so high now that families can’t afford to come here, but… oh by the way, it is $30.00 to leave your car in our parking lot.” 

On a recent trip to the beach, which is simply the edge of the country, where the water washes up onto the sand, they have installed a machine that takes whatever change you have left in your pockets, for the privilege of leaving your rental car there.  No change – no problem, it also takes credit cards.

 

I only write this in support of my petition to have the phrase, Home of the Free, modified.  It tends to be misleading.

 

 

 

zc

 

 

 

 

 

Perfection is a Rumor

 

The oboe adds to the mystery, just as a campfire adds to a ghost story.   Some things just go together.  Of course, there are always mismatches.  There are some otherwise perfect jobs out there but then there is an obnoxious boss in the mix, not qualified to supervise a house plant.  Once in a while, if I choose to add cream to my morning coffee, lumps come floating to the top.

It isn’t a question of taking the good with the bad, it’s why does the bad have to show up at all?  It seems to be sprinkled in all aspects of daily living.  An air bubble in the toothpaste that suddenly sends a sputter across the bathroom mirror, or you peel the little sticker off the apple, only to discover that is where the bad spot is.

Then again, maybe all of those things are the justifications for the word annoyance.  Without them, we wouldn’t be annoyed.  Every word out there needs to have a personal description, and annoyance is no exception.  Static electricity is just life’s way of saying, “Don’t get too comfortable, we’ve got you surrounded.”

 

 

 

 zc

 

 

 

Catnap

 

I’m going to take a catnap

please fill my food dish while I’m away

add fresh water to my bowl

and don’t be playing with my toys

because I’ll know if you do

 

 and don't run the can opener
you'll wake me up.