Category Archives: 100 words or less

Last Thought to My Son

I am sure you noted this, but after  I was done writing that piece yesterday I realized it myself.   

I believed that people can’t change.  I also couldn’t give my children most of what kids need as they grow up.  It was just a handicap I had, something I had no control over.  When I was dying, seeing you so mild, I pretended to believe in change for your sake, to belatedly give you some little piece of what you might need.  I pretended.

It just hit me, being able to pretend for someone else’s sake … a big change.

From the Mouths of Pishers

I got the news of Melz’s death just after noon on Thursday January 2.   At 3:02 I was sitting on the floor in a circle of boys, ages 8-10.  As I calmed them and opened the laptop to show them three, yea, three new pieces of animation, I mentioned that if I seem sad or not myself today it’s because I got the news three hours ago that an old friend had died.
 
“I’m sorry,” said Amza, 8.
 
“How old was he?” asked someone else.
 
“He’d just turned 58,” I said and a chorus of children said “that’s young!”
 
From the mouths of pishers…

On The Other Hand

The odds go down for the solitary swimmer for every additional individual doing jumping jacks on the swimmer’s back as he makes his way through the cold, deep water.  Can’t stop to count ’em now, if you will excuse me, please.

How To Crush An Idealist

There are many ways, but this one is elegant in its simplicity.  It may be more fun to find one niggling detail, (detail unimportant, in fact, the pettier the better), grip it tightly in bulldog jaws and keep pulling at the idealist, but I think this one is better.  Less is more.  

Do nothing, say nothing.  No matter what the idealist says or accomplishes, remain quiet.

This way the idealist is left to wonder if anybody is home, and the sneaking feeling that nobody’s home will crush that sucker faster than a steamroller flattening the coyote in a Roadrunner cartoon.

On Other Days…

… the wick is turned way down, the flame barely burning.  In fact, if you don’t look very closely, you might not see any fire glowing there at all.  There are days like that, too, even for those who count their blessings several times a day.  No doubt about it.

On such days, if you can, it’s best to turn in early, sleep and restore yourself.   No question worth pondering is more important than that long draught of deep sleep.

G’night.