IdeaJones

Category: Uncategorized

Etcetera:

  • The Flip Side

    Yesterday, I was going on about how people see things differently, even if they’re standing side-by-side watching the same event.

    The flip side is, there are wonderful opportunities for story creation in almost any situation. For someone who deals in stories, that can be a very good thing.

    An example: I see a couple drive up, chatting and laughing. A woman with a package and a sour expression comes down the walk as the car stops, and interacts with the couple. Or maybe she only speaks to one of them. Maybe her frown increases when she sees them laughing together. Or maybe she begins laughing with them. What’s in the package? Does it have any bearing? Is this a planned rendezvous or just a chance meeting?

    There are many potential plot lines that can be advanced, and from the perspective of the storyteller, it is freeing to have not seen the actual meeting of this trio of characters. My mind can play with scenarios as it will, unencumbered by the realities of the situation.

    The beauty of writing fiction is that the deeper emotional truth of a situation can be explored. The observable facts are not as relevant as the meaning, and the communication of a concept is more fulfilling than a mere statement of “fact.”

  • “…Eye of the Beholder”

    Yeah, “Beauty…” I’ve heard it, too, but that’s not where I’m headed tonight.

    What you see, and what I see, are often two different things, even if we’re looking at the same scene. This is why “eye witness” testimony is often unreliable. Two people can experience the same event, and describe it in such a way that it’s hard to believe they both saw the same thing. Because they didn’t.

    Experiment after experiment shows this phenomenon. What you see isn’t solely a function of what was actually there. It’s what you noticed about what was there, filtered through your own history and experience. Is the glass half empty, or half full? Yes. Both may be correct interpretations of the state of the glass.

    I often come onto a scene that’s already in progress. I’ll round a corner or enter a room, and catch an expression or a few words, but not enough to make sense of what I’m seeing or hearing. Yet my brain insists on completing the story, so will fill in the gaps in a way that makes sense. To me, and my peculiar history. (That’s “peculiar” as in unique, not as odd.)

    Don’t call me a liar because you didn’t see what I saw. You and I didn’t see the same thing, even if we were walking side by side when we saw it.

  • Father’s Day Fun

    Our dog wasn’t clear about the kind of puppy he wanted. Then again, we don’t seem to be able to choose the dogs that come into our lives. We end up with the dogs we’re meant to have. The puppy in question quickly grew to twice the dog’s size and three times his weight. Yet, he’s still the puppy.

    As an early Father’s Day outing, we had a friend’s puppy over to play, figuring the youngsters could wear each other out and everybody would get a good night’s sleep.

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    Seems to have worked. We enjoyed a peaceful evening.

     

  • Flag Day

    imageJune 14th rolls around this time each year, and some people get very excited about Flag Day. Maybe June 14th is your birthday, or anniversary. Or maybe your connection to June 14th is the flag.

    I’m not one to put the flag out every day, although some in my family do. I keep the flagpole in the front closet, and bring it out for patriotic holidays. I don’t fly the flag on Christmas, but it’s waving on Memorial Day. It goes up on Independence Day, and, on Flag Day.

    I’m not really clear why there’s a special day for the Stars and Stripes. But I like it. Don’t really celebrate except to fly and salute the flag, but it feels right nonetheless. It is a nice-looking emblem, and I have many memories of reciting the pledge of allegiance while saluting the flag that was hung in the corner of every elementary school classroom I attended.

    Flag Day? Bring it on. And order up a nice breeze to let that flag really fly!

  • Tweak Those Rabbit Ears

    If you read our mini-bios at the top of the page, you know I’m in radio. What you may not know is I’m been in radio since before audio-visual signals were delivered to our homes via satellite. (Cable’s been around longer than I have.)

    Back in the day, to receive broadcast signals, you’d use a little set-top antenna, consisting of two pieces of metal sticking up like an elongated “V.” Somebody thought it looked like rabbit ears – and the term stuck, although it’s not as common these days to see them. (Actually, right now, we don’t have satellite or cable, so we have a “rabbit ears” antenna on each TV.)

    That’s why I thought it was funny when I came to work at the radio station and saw this fellow (adjusting his rabbit ears for best reception?).

    bunny wide

     

     

     

     

    Well, I guess you had to be there.