It is strange the way a small thing can upset your entire life. A butterfly flaps it wings and all that. My weekend was going along pretty well even if it wouldn't stop raining. We got a lot of work done. Our old house is almost ready to go back on the market. I even was having what may have been the beginnings of a spiritual awakening or sorts. But then it happened.
I was sleeping somewhat peacefully. I had nodded off after reading for a while and my lovely wife was still up. Then she woke me with these words: "there is a frog in the fireplace". She had noticed the cat staring into the fireplace and then she saw why. A little tree frog stuck to the inside of the glass doors on the fireplace. It was so surreal. Especially to someone who had just regained consciousness.
So I had to get a plastic cup and scoop the little guy up and take him out. Everything turned out fine. But my sense of the world and how it works is forever damaged. I can't even look at the fireplace anymore with out wondering what sort or creature might crawl out of it next. I mean really, a frog? In the fireplace? How does that happen? What will it be next? I'll open the oven and find a giraffe. It wouldn't surprise me any less.
All in all not a bad weekend. It was way too short. It really flew by. And it was weird. Very, very weird. You know me, my Tender Lumplings, and that I am no stranger to weird. I love it. I thrive on it. But I cannot stress this enough: THERE WAS A FROG IN MY FIREPLACE!!!!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
What would Harry Caray do?
I want a baseball. I don't know why. I don't play baseball. I don't even really like it. I find watching it on TV, or in person, about as thrilling as watching water drip onto a sponge. But still about 11:30 last night it hit me that I would like to have a baseball. A nice new white ball with bright red stitching. The brand doesn't matter although seeing "Rawlings" written across the sweet spot in blue script would be nice. I just want to hold it. Maybe toss it up in the air a few times. I wouldn't take it outside where it might get dirty. That would ruin it. I would toss it back and forth between my hands. Or sit it on the table next to me while I read.
I want a baseball.
I want a baseball.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Why
I ask you all now, why? And I hope you, my Tender Lumplings, will answer me honestly and without hesitation or fear of retribution. These are some things that just make me ponder why. Not really pet peeves, though they do aggravate me upon occasion. But mostly just things I don't understand.
Why, when you meet someone in a hallway or at a door, do you say that person's name? Even if it is some one you see everyday. Or may have even seen only a few moments before. Are we reminding that person of their name? Are we reminding ourselves? Or, most likely, are we assuring that person that we know their name? Why? I know Bob ( or Tom or Susan or whatever) and they know I know them. I don't need to say "Hey, Bob" every time I see Bob. I don't understand.
Why, if I'm holding a door open for someone, do they put out their hand to hold the door open. If I'm holding it open, I'm not gonna let go while they are halfway through. It is very disrespectful of someone to do that. Now if I'm going through a door and hold it briefly while some one else is coming through behind me, then they can, and should, grab the door. But if I'm just standing there holding the door, do not grab the door. I don't understand.
Ok, last one.
Why can't humans realize that love is good, war is bad and we are all in this together. And living together with tolerance, sympathy, understanding and rationality is the only way to get through.
Ok, so now, one more thing. Someone told me that reading my blog scared them. I'd be lying to say this doesn't please me at least a little. But it was never my intention to frighten anyone. I also can't promise it won't happen again. Just stick with me and we may all learn something.
Why, when you meet someone in a hallway or at a door, do you say that person's name? Even if it is some one you see everyday. Or may have even seen only a few moments before. Are we reminding that person of their name? Are we reminding ourselves? Or, most likely, are we assuring that person that we know their name? Why? I know Bob ( or Tom or Susan or whatever) and they know I know them. I don't need to say "Hey, Bob" every time I see Bob. I don't understand.
Why, if I'm holding a door open for someone, do they put out their hand to hold the door open. If I'm holding it open, I'm not gonna let go while they are halfway through. It is very disrespectful of someone to do that. Now if I'm going through a door and hold it briefly while some one else is coming through behind me, then they can, and should, grab the door. But if I'm just standing there holding the door, do not grab the door. I don't understand.
Ok, last one.
Why can't humans realize that love is good, war is bad and we are all in this together. And living together with tolerance, sympathy, understanding and rationality is the only way to get through.
Ok, so now, one more thing. Someone told me that reading my blog scared them. I'd be lying to say this doesn't please me at least a little. But it was never my intention to frighten anyone. I also can't promise it won't happen again. Just stick with me and we may all learn something.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Emotions In Motion
Well, my Tender Lumplings, I, your humble narrator, had some bad business to deal with. My uncle passed away after being ill for quite some time. I hadn't seen him in a long long time. He was quite a character and the family and many many other will miss him.
No, generally, I don't do funerals. I just send a card and flowers and that's that. But in this case I attempted to make an exception. There were several cousins and 2nd cousins and old family friends I had not seen for even longer than it had been since I saw my uncle. Some of his kids had moved north years ago. So I went to see them and be seen. I was nice, but strange.
I was standing there talking to someone I hadn't seen since she was about 10 or 11. She is now the mother of two young boys. And I realized that I didn't really know any of these people. They are family and I love them immensely but I just don't know who they are. And I know for a fact that they have no clue as to who I am.
I didn't really grow up with them. They lived in another town and we saw each other a few times a year but back then it wasn't a big deal. But so much has happened in the last couple of decades. I am not the person I was back then. There really is no reason for me to think they have changed as much as I have but I can't know they haven't.
Take my cousin I mentioned above. Last time I saw her she was about 10 years old and, as far as i know, just a regular kid. Now she is 28 with two kids and a few tattoos. I don't know what happened in those 18 years. Does she like country music? Did she watch the Olympics? I don't know. And the same thing goes for all of them. It's just a strange feeling to love someone because they are family but otherwise have very little emotion toward them because you don't know them. How does that work? It's not like they are strangers, I've known them for forty years. But then again they are. How can you love someone that you don't even know if you like?
I would like to know them. Under different circumstances I would have loved to talk to them and find out about their lives now. But that is hard to do in the depressing air of a wake. Maybe now that a certain amount of contact has been established I can start learning. The beauty of email and the Internet and things like Facebook is how they make miles disappear.
So, I left before the actual funeral service. I just couldn't be there for that. The only other person there that I felt I still knew, other than my Mom and Dad and Brother, was my uncle. And I couldn't stand the thought of watching him be put in the ground. I hate that. I never want that done with me someday. I left and came home to ponder all this and my changing views of how I relate to others. How I effect them and how I am affected. Is it bad that I'm growing more and more detached from just about every other human? There are maybe 5 people I care anything about and of those only about 3 I want to be around.
Of course you, my Tender Lumplings, are the exception. I love you all with a boundless emotion that knows no bounds. Well, it wouldn't be boundless otherwise now would it?
No, generally, I don't do funerals. I just send a card and flowers and that's that. But in this case I attempted to make an exception. There were several cousins and 2nd cousins and old family friends I had not seen for even longer than it had been since I saw my uncle. Some of his kids had moved north years ago. So I went to see them and be seen. I was nice, but strange.
I was standing there talking to someone I hadn't seen since she was about 10 or 11. She is now the mother of two young boys. And I realized that I didn't really know any of these people. They are family and I love them immensely but I just don't know who they are. And I know for a fact that they have no clue as to who I am.
I didn't really grow up with them. They lived in another town and we saw each other a few times a year but back then it wasn't a big deal. But so much has happened in the last couple of decades. I am not the person I was back then. There really is no reason for me to think they have changed as much as I have but I can't know they haven't.
Take my cousin I mentioned above. Last time I saw her she was about 10 years old and, as far as i know, just a regular kid. Now she is 28 with two kids and a few tattoos. I don't know what happened in those 18 years. Does she like country music? Did she watch the Olympics? I don't know. And the same thing goes for all of them. It's just a strange feeling to love someone because they are family but otherwise have very little emotion toward them because you don't know them. How does that work? It's not like they are strangers, I've known them for forty years. But then again they are. How can you love someone that you don't even know if you like?
I would like to know them. Under different circumstances I would have loved to talk to them and find out about their lives now. But that is hard to do in the depressing air of a wake. Maybe now that a certain amount of contact has been established I can start learning. The beauty of email and the Internet and things like Facebook is how they make miles disappear.
So, I left before the actual funeral service. I just couldn't be there for that. The only other person there that I felt I still knew, other than my Mom and Dad and Brother, was my uncle. And I couldn't stand the thought of watching him be put in the ground. I hate that. I never want that done with me someday. I left and came home to ponder all this and my changing views of how I relate to others. How I effect them and how I am affected. Is it bad that I'm growing more and more detached from just about every other human? There are maybe 5 people I care anything about and of those only about 3 I want to be around.
Of course you, my Tender Lumplings, are the exception. I love you all with a boundless emotion that knows no bounds. Well, it wouldn't be boundless otherwise now would it?
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