[Warning: Slight political rant here today.]

Light.

It’s one of those things we can’t do without, y’know? Over the centuries of human existence, light has become culturally synonymous with enlightenment, clarity, and all things positive.

Darkness, on the other hand, is equated with fear, obfuscation, and secrets.

Maybe that’s because light is so useful in revealing that which is not clearly seen. For instance…

Early Morning in Downtown Houston

I was downtown Houston a few weeks ago for a seminar. It was on the 4^th floor in a rather nice hotel next to the Convention Center (that unusual-looking building you see in this photo).

Since the traffic situation was a big fat unknown to me, I decided to go fairly early. (I live in Tomball, a small town on the outskirts of NW Houston – a drive of about 40 miles.) As usual, leaving earlier meant ‘way less traffic, so that was good. On the other hand, I got there so early it was still about an hour and a half before the seminar started.

To kill some time I spent an hour or so watching the sun rise and shooting a few photos in Discovery Green Park, a small park right across the street from the hotel. (You’ll no doubt hear more about the Park in future posts, but if you’re interested, you can check out some of the photos I took here.)

Anyway, just before the seminar started, I was helping myself to something from the breakfast buffet (don’t worry; it was healthy stuff – promise!) when I happened to glance out the window. Or to be more painfully accurate, I glanced at the window.

Yuck!

I mean to tell ya; it was disgusting! It looked like… well, forget the descriptive; you can see for yourself. The morning sunlight had dramatically illuminated the dirt on this window to the point where it was almost all I could see!

Needless to say, if you folks from the hotel staff are listening, I think you might want to invest in a bottle of Windex and a big ol’ bucket of elbow grease. (There’s even a convenient ledge upon which to stand – just, um,  don’t step back to admire your work! Just sayin’.)

The Power of Light

Yep; no doubt about it, light can be a pretty powerful tool when it comes to revealing stuff.

You can use light to find something lost. The other day, Mrs. MZM dropped a tiny little pill on the rug in our bathroom. Now, you’d think something like that would be pretty easy to find, right? I mean, the rug ain’t that big! But no, because of its color, it simply blended into the rug. So I turned on a flashlight and held it down low, parallel to the floor. Sure enough, the shadow of the pill gave it away! Voila!

Have you ever tried to convince someone to do something – but it was based on, perhaps, shaky logic? No need to raise your hand, my friends; we’ve all done it, haven’t we? I mean, from childhood (it wasn’t me, Mom!) it’s been a long succession of attempts to convince folks I knew what I was talkin’ about.

And what about (sound of terrified scream) politics? How many times has one politician after another made a statement – or ten – that simply didn’t hold up under the application of a little light on the subject? I mean, what’s with that, anyway? And what’s even sillier – they actually get upset when you do it, too! As if they were tryin’ to, y’know, put something over on us…

I mean, take the fracas over Health Care that’s goin’ on here in the U.S. (please!) You’ve got folks on both sides talkin’ as loud as they can, tryin’ to convince you they’re right and the other guy is wrong. Hey, I say we drag out the light and let’s take a look at it!

Does it do this, or that, or even that other thing? With just a little examination, we can find out for ourselves just what it says. Why be afraid of reading it, y’know? And why do they object to us reading it, I wonder?

All I’m sayin’ is, light can be a most powerful tool when it comes to discovering something fundamental – like the truth. And when folks start objecting to its use, well Bubba, don’cha find yourself wonderin’ just what exactly they’ve got to hide?

I’m just sayin’.

_____________________________

I was in the doctor’s office for my annual 100,000-mile checkup not too long ago. Prognosis: pretty good, actually. I’m generally healthy, and everything still seems to be tickin’ along nicely.

Over by the wall stood this typical doctor’s scale. You’ve most likely seen ‘em, haven’t you? You stand on that plate at the bottom (wearing as little as possible so the danged thing doesn’t mistake that giant Rodeo buckle and ten-gallon hat for excess flab) and then you slide the little weights back and forth on the bars until it balances. Then you read the numbers inside the holes in the weights.

If you look closely in the photo, this one reads 195 pounds. The thing is, that’s not my actual weight. Alas, my current, um, gravitational quotient is a mite higher than that. (But for now let’s keep the actual number my little secret, ‘K?)

The Target

No, what this things shows is my target. See, for the last several months I’ve been on a (sound of terrified scream) diet. My goal is to get back to the weight I believe to be optimum for me – 195. Unfortunately, a few too many cookies, a little too much ice cream… well, let’s just say I’ve not been living the best lifestyle when it comes to food, y’know?

Anyway, Mrs. MZM and I mutually made the decision (hey, it’s true – although I believe the words, “or else” were in there somewhere) to get healthier. Yep; we started doing all the right things: watch what we eat, make sensible choices, exercise regularly – you know, all the things we know to do already, but somehow, well, don’t.

Generally speaking, it hasn’t been as hard as I thought it would be (although I must admit; I do miss pie!) In fact, I’m kinda lookin’ forward to the day I hit my “fightin’ weight” and regain my girlish figure. And to help me along, I keep that target weight in mind now, even when I have nothing but poor choices in front of me. That target colors everything I think about when it comes to food.

The bottom line is, I know the goal, and even better – I know how to reach it.

And that’s good, y’know? It means the ol’ little gray cells are finally cooperatin’, and it’s about time, too! Nowadays, it’s a heck of a lot easier to choose something grilled instead of fried, or something healthy instead of just sweet. All because of that target.

The Target is the Goal

Have you got a goal? How do you visualize it? Did you know a clear visualization can be and extremely powerful agent in change? I bet you did. Sooner or later, everyone comes to the realization that you can’t get anywhere without knowin’ where you’re goin’.

So what’s your goal? How do you visualize it (or them)? Some folks use vision boards, some write out a plan, some share it with others who can help them stay on the right track. What’s your best method of imagining a goal? Share with us what works for you, won’t you?

Maybe by sharing, you can help someone else who’s struggling – and wouldn’t that be great accomplishment!

__________________________

Too Close For Comfort

Sometimes important lessons lurk in the most innocuous places, y’know?

Take a look at this photo, for instance. Don’t worry; no marauding alligators lurking in here this time! Nope, this time it’s just a… (sound of terrified scream) spice rack.

Let’s see… ya got your ground cinnamon, a large can of sea salt, one of those rectangular cans of nutmeg, a little tiny (yet somehow, ridiculously expensive) bottle of vanilla extract…

But here’s the deal. Right next to the ground cinnamon on the top rack there’s a bottle of chili powder. Anyone see the danger? I mean, it’s a bottle of cinnamon (ooh, sweet!) right next to an almost-identical bottle of (aack!) chili powder!

Can you say “catastrophe”?

They Say It’s the Thought That Counts

Let’s say, as a surprise for my beloved Mrs. MZM, I decided to make a nice, hot batch of chocolate-chip cookies. (Unfortunately, thanks to the diet we’re on, this is only an imaginary scenario. *sigh*) Now I ask you; what’s the absolute best thing to top a big ol’ plate of fresh-baked cookies? You guessed it – a light dusting of ground cinnamon! (I’m tellin’ ya, folks – even as I write this, my tummy is doin’ somersaults!)

But lemme ask ya: What if I were to accidentally grab the chili powder instead of the cinnamon? Hey, it’s not so far-fetched – they’re right there next to each other, y’know? Can you picture the potential for disaster?

An Evening Filled With Promise

Now, imagine the Mrs. and I are parked on the bear skin rug in front of the fireplace for a nice, romantic evening. (By the way, we don’t actually have a bear skin rug. But it makes a nice scene, don’cha think? Besides, I don’t think I could stand having the thing stare at me accusingly, y’know?)

Anyhoo – the lights are low; there’s a candle or two lit for ambiance. A couple of glasses of chilled sparkling water fizz quietly on the table, their gently rising bubbles catching the candlelight provocatively. The sweet sounds of gentle jazz on the sound system soothes the day’s stress away.

Now for a final surprise, I bring out my just-baked batch of cookies for that little extra “somethin’special”. Mrs. MZM’s eyes light up in delight at the unexpected treat. She smiles delightedly as she reaches for a still-warm golden delight and gently places it upon her tongue.

– then her eyes grow wide in shock as she begins to violently choke! Do ya think the accidental use of chili powder instead of cinnamon might, well, ruin the mood? Yup; pretty much like that iceberg sank the Titanic!

Pay Attention!

Anyhoo – my point is, there’s little surprises like this one all over the place. I mean, life if full of ‘em, y’know? So what’s a body to do? Hey, there’s actually a pretty simple solution: you just gotta pay attention.

How many times have you suddenly discovered you’ve been on autopilot for the last 10 minutes while your brain took a short holiday and wandered around on its own? It usually happens when you’re doing something you’ve done a thousand times before, like driving to work, or watching the weather. (Here’s a typical conversation at our house immediately after the weather forecast: “Dear, what did he say the weather was going to be like tomorrow?” “I don’t know, Honey, my mind wandered off for a minute and I missed it.”)

So consider this a friendly little reminder, y’all! Pay attention to the stuff around you – especially the small stuff! Hey, you never know when a seemingly insignificant detail could make a really, really BIG difference! Just sayin’.

What About YOU?

So when was the last time you narrowly avoided a disaster of epic proportions by noticing a seeming “small” detail? What was it, and how did you manage to catch yourself before something, um, undesired happened? Did you learn anything from it?

Enquiring minds want to know!

_______________________

I was in downtown Houston a few days this week for a two-day seminar. Now, from where I live, it’s quite a drive into town. Rather than get in the midst of the early rush-hour traffic, I decided to go in a lot earlier. Naturally it gave me some time to kill, so I sorta wandered around the hotel for an hour or so.

It turns out there’s a beautiful little park right next door. Needless to say, I found some great photos!

Here’s my favorite, one I’ve titled: Table for Two. Now, doesn’t that scene just invite you to pull up a chair and set a spell?

Enjoy!

__________________

Actually, I started out just posting this photo on Flickr.

But when my friend Joanna Young made a comment about it on Twitter the other day, I thought to myself; Self, that’s not a bad idea!

Her comment, if I can recall, was somethin’ along the lines of, “What, are you telling pictures with your photos now?”

Well, Joanna; I didn’t plan to, but what the hey!

p.s. If you’d like to know more, follow the link to the Flickr photo and read the description. Suffice it to say, I found this little drama unfolding in my backyard!

But my question for you today is this: What little dramas are unfolding right under your nose? You might be surprised! Take a moment and look around, won’t you? And if you feel like it, share it with the rest of us! I’ll leave the light on.

____________________________

Howdy y’all! Hey, it’s been a great barrel of laughs so far with this month’s What I Learned From Laughter groupwrite project! And for those who participated, a big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya for making my week one long chuckle.

[& UPDATED!] [UPDATED] We had a whopping 43 entries this month (although it’s never about the numbers, y’know) and I thank you from the bottom of my Texas heart for joining us.

Here’s the entries, in the order that I found ‘em, plus a few of my own favorites from right here at the Middle Zone. Check ‘em out, won’t you? Heck, why not start a conversation?

• What I Learned From Laughter, by Lillie Ammann at A Writer’s Words, an Editor’s Eye
• Bad T’ings Mek Joke: Jamaican Humor, by Geoffrey Philp at Geoffrey Philp’s Blogspot
• What are your personal oxymorons? by Clare Lynch at goodcopybadcopy
• What makes you laugh? by Jackie Cameron at Jackie Cameron
• What I Learned From Laughter, by Monique Attinger at BraWise
• Didn’t See That Coming, by Lori Newman at When We Listen
• Laughing at the Small Stuff, by Karen Putz at A Deaf Mom Shares Her World
• A Collection of Funny Word Sell Posts, by Brad Shorr at Word Sell, Inc. (13 links)
• What I Learned From Laughter, by Luke Gedeon at Luke Gedeonn (8 links)
  
• A Funny Post Review, by Tabetha Gedeon, at Denim and Silk (5 links)

And of course, here’s some from Yours Truly:

• A (Very) Short Love Story: Ode to Number 9, by Robert Hruzek at Joyful Jubilant Learning
• No Sense at All, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Dog Gone, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• What Life Would Be Like on the Moon, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• It’s Not Quite What it Seems, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• My Nose, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• I Think the Chicken “Got It!”, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• How to Make a Million Dollars, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• How to Destroy the Earth. Really. by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings

Hey, I want to thank all those who participated this month, and hope you enjoy some of the zany stuff that goes on here at the Zone. Don’t forget to drop by next month for another exciting episode of What I Learned From…

Oh, and of course, a tip o’ the hat to ya!

_____________________

Today’s post is a two-fer.

By that I mean, it not only fits into this month’s What I Learned From Laughter groupwrite project, but it’s also a guest post over at Joyful Jubilant Learning, doevtailing nicely into Rosa’s theme this month (which happens to be, um, “9″)! I’m tellin’ ya; am I efficient, or what? (Don’t answer that!)

Anyhoo, you’ll have to follow the link to read it (it’s a very short post!), but I can tell you it’s… well, it’s a love story. And a kinda sad one at that. Yep; it’s all about the number 9 and… well, why not just pop on over and read it, won’t you? (Trust me; it’s a short read!)

So follow this link to: Ode to Number 9: A (Very) Short Love Story.

______________________________

In the meantime, if you’d like to join us for this month’s What I Learned From Laughter groupwrite project, well Bubba, get yourself over to the Middle Zone and read all about it! It’s open for entries until Sunday night, September 13.

______________________________