May 20, 2008

Viewmaster slides of life

High gray clouds crabwalk across the sky. Drops of rain from last night's showers make an uneven backbeat in the downspout. The coffeemaker growls in accompaniment as I hunt and peck at the keyboard. A cardinal calls his mate from the fence as a shaft of sunlight stabs through the May morning. It remains unseasonably cold and wet. We have had rain 16 of the last 20 days. As I type I am composing two emails in my mind. One for a customer explaining why I have still not submitted the quote due last Friday. Another is for the powers that be demanding the cost information I need. I am a master at multi-tasking. Always the middleman, it is my lot in life to please no one.

Shock Jocks laugh away on the radio, barely heard. As I pour the coffee into my stoneware mug I pop a little chocolate donut in my mouth. They always remind me of John Belushi and his SNL skit. In spite of my efforts, I worry about the details of life. Bills, work, to-do lists, and how I am going to manage baseball practice tonight. I can neither throw nor hit the baseball. A rabbit sits beside my African grasses. The yard needs mowed and I want to plant tomatoes. The lights on the modem flash uncaring orange and green signals confirming I am communicating with the outside world. The letters on the monitor shout their need for attention. Are you listening?

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