Momentarily Frozen Moments

 

   Some moments are frozen in time for eternity. Those are the moments that exist perpetually in memory as if they happened only yesterday. Maybe it's something extremely personal such as a first kiss or the day a bitter divorce was finalized. 

   Or maybe it's something that is shared on a universal scale, such as 911 or the collapse of the USSR.

   Whatever the case may be, for many the exact moment a particularly happy moment or painful tragedy happened, or when a history-altering event occurred, can be of such great significance that even the slightest reference to it can bring smiles or tears.

   There is no doubt someone, somewhere, has studied this phenomena, from both the perspective of those who cannot forget and from that of those who fail to remember.

   For there are indeed people to whom nothing has ever happened that is stuck in their memory, being either of a deeply personal or of a more general nature.

   It is strange to consider, at least for me, that there are people who have no significant memories, but they do exist - I've met and known a few people who have made that claim.

   It strikes me as odd and somewhat unforgettable when I encounter such people.

   

Engulfed By The Malaise

Sits at home doing nothing, dreaming about the past

Walls covered with beautiful pictures, sees only the cracks

Tells himself life has been cruel, deserves to wallow in regret

Cannot grasp its too early for the eulogy, a world still awaits

Turned away from family and friends, can't understand why no-one calls 

Doesn't believe he needs anyone, least not anyone he can recall

Content to curse the fates, damns existence as a callous joke 

Televised propaganda feeds his apathy, every single day

Talking points as an appetizer, suspicion smothered in hate as the entrée

Eyes no longer see colors, paints the world in shades of gray

Heaping Handfuls Of Snow

 

Free! All the snow you could possibly want! Bring your own truck and maybe a helper or two - can provide shovels if needed.

First come first served, limited time offer.

Back In The Day When Air Bands Were A Thing

      Tim Decker in back playing air drums, Mike Tankersley playing a hockey stick Bass, Pete Sukovoty on the T-Square guitar, Chris Long (nka Bakunas) mimes the vocals... 

     Back in the 1980's when the knees were still good and fast food could be consumed without guilt, air bands became a thing among the crowd I associated. Air bands and air guitar were experiencing a surge in public expression at the time - I suspect it was the popularity of MTV that was behind the revival. 

   I say revival because playing air guitar had been a thing for quite some time in the U.S. and Europe (heck, Joe Cocker had played air guitar on stage at Woodstock), so we were not doing anything new - people had been air-conducting orchestras since the first phonographs had been introduced, and air piano players probably were around in the days of Mozart and Beethoven. 

   The only new aspect of what we were doing was that it was new to us, and had been thrust into the public eye. So, like millions of other kids our age, we were unashamedly enjoying the hell out of it.

   One night Tim, Mike, Pete, and I got the idea that we could compete in an Air Band contest that was being held at Willy's Bar, a small dance club along U.S. route 70 about halfway between the base we were all stationed at and the small town of Alamogordo.

   We devoted all of 30 minutes practicing our act (a pantomime of the Violent Femmes song "Add It Up") and then headed out for the contest.

   We took second to a woman who performed as Stevie Nicks (without an air guitar or an air band, which we thought should have disqualified her...).

 

Better For Your Sanity To Just Drink In The View Without Thought

 

Milestones In Watercooler Advertisement

 

   Is there any modern convenience more underappreciated than the humble watercooler? Not only does it perform exactly as described in the above advertisement (circa late 1940's) but it also aided in the development of herd-immunity against a wide variety of easily transmittable ailments such as the common cold and the everyday, non world economy destroying flu.

   Oh sure there were a few casualties due to some of those sharing the viruses that could be spread via mutual watercooler use not developing the life-saving immunity one would hope for, but that's one of those unavoidables that the statisticians chalk up as "Collateral Damage."

   Another often overlooked bonus is, once artificial fluoridation of water began (1950's and 1960's in the U.S.), the availability of not only clean water but water treated to reduce tooth decay / cavities that was readily available in the work place from watercoolers lead to bigger and brighter smiles, which in turn lead to the average person smiling in photos instead of sitting for a photographer all grim-faced and such.

Slapping Something Together In A Professional Manner

   There is, for reasons far, far beyond the keen of my intellect, a desire within to build something. 

   I'm not really sure what that something is.

   It might be something useful, or it might be something purely decorative. Maybe it'll be a combination of the two - a beautiful to look at functional...something.

   If I was still living on the coast, I might consider building a boat - I've always wanted to build a boat, ever since I was...I don't know, maybe ten or so. Boats are just cool. I'm not talking a big boat of course, a 10 or 15 foot flat-bottom rowboat would do, or possibly a small sailboat - a single masted job.

   But I don't live on the coast, so I have to think more along the lines of building a small model train set or a bookcase, perhaps.

   I'll have to mull this over a bit.