Now what? After working for nearly a full year to get a book published, I am wondering – now what? I have another book drafted. Like Santa’s Special Delivery, this one was started many years ago. But, currently my ‘writer’s block’ is more like a granite cliff rather than a cinder block.
Meanwhile, I am trying to convince myself that time spent reading is not time wasted. After years of working full time, raising a trio of good citizens and engaging in volunteer activities, it feels strange to simply sit down and read a book. The little voice in my head is saying – “Shouldn’t you be DOING something? “
So, I’ll obey the voice and commit to doing something. Turns out that activity will be writing about the lack of common sense so often visible in current times and how it might end.
1) A driver turns on the turn signal after beginning the turn. (A car in front of you begins to slow down. The slow down continues and then, after the car begins its turn, the turn signal is activated.)
2) A driver uses the turn signal to indicate he/she feels entitled to pull in front of you in traffic by virtue of the signal. (Honoring the ‘safe distance’ from the car in front of you leads to a driver deciding that ‘safe distance’ is his/her right to occupy.)
3) Two companions visiting as they wait for the elevator doors to open. When the elevator arrives, they remain like human obstacles to the passengers attempting to get out of the elevator. (Frustration takes over, guess it will be prudent to use the escalator this time.)
4) When getting off the escalator an individual sees a friend about to get on the adjacent escalator. They stop to catch up with gossip and news thereby blocking the access to escalator. (Hmm, can’t go up and can’t go down.)
5) Cashier at the supermarket decides that providing conversation to the customer is good PR. The conversation increases and the cashier slows down in scanning items. The conversation continues while the bagging takes place as next customer’s ice cream continues to melt.
6) A supermarket customer’s purchases have all been scanned and bagged and is told of the total by the cashier. At this point said customer opens her purse and begins the search for her ‘loyalty card’. Not interested in providing a phone number to speed up the process, she continues the search while the line grows longer and the ice cream continues to melt.
7) A supermarket customer’s purchases have all been scanned and bagged and is told of the total by the cashier. At this point said customer opens her purse and begins the search for her check book. After locating the checkbook, she continues searching for a pen ignoring the pen proffered by the cashier. She then asks for the total again, for the date, whether the store has a stamp for payee or whether she should write it in.
5), 6), and 7) all occur with the same customer. At this point the customer behind her has departed leaving a basket full of items to be re-shelved including some very soft ice cream. In today’s world that shopper, unable to complete his/her lunch hour errand hurries to the parking lot, exits the area and in returning to work encounters drivers 1) and 2) mentioned above. He/she runs back into the office to avoid being late and encounters visitors described in 3) above. Rejecting the elevator, he/she sprints to the escalator only to be faced with 4).
Just another day. If the resulting trip home by this victim of common senselessness encounters or is fueled by road rage, the cycle will have been completed.