Ideas Knocking On Your Mind’s Door

As I sat in the back of the theater watching life-sized chipmunks run around on stage, in a different country I started to yawn. I was tired because I woke up out of a sound sleep at 1:40 am with an idea. I tried to tell that idea it was a ridiculous time to be writing anything, and we should both be sleeping, but it kept knocking at the door of my mind. I had no other choice but to yank my phone out of the charger and start typing. I grabbed my phone because, while I acknowledged the idea and agreed to give it some of my time, I refused to get out of bed and find my laptop. I was also too tired to find my reading glasses, which meant when I woke up when normal people wake up, I had a lot of translating to do.

I will be the first to complain about technology, but once I accept it, which I always end up doing, I am forced to acknowledge that it has made our lives easier on so many levels.   From being able to grab something in the middle of the night and write down thoughts to discovering all sorts of new things you didn’t know existed. You can buy anything from the Internet, from cribs to coffee with just the click of a button and a credit card. Gone are the late nights of infomercials for the insomniac, which produce a visit from the mail carrier days later. You never quite knew what that mail carrier would hand you because nine times out of 10 you were half asleep when you placed your order. But, there he stood with his arms outstretched handing you three pasta boats or the complete box set of the Dean Martin Roasts on VHS. Yes, our mail carrier has delivered both those items to our doorstep.

The Internet has replaced that all and Amazon one click has made it even faster and easier to order anything. No more searching for the wireless phone, hoping it’s charged, no more digging for credit cards, no more spelling your ridiculously complicated address. The push of one button and you can have anything you could imagine.

One of the most exciting things the Internet has brought me recently was through Instagram. It is MiniaturePlasticDeer.com. They are a start-up company that sent out a call to bloggers offering to send a Holiday Miniature Deer Kit so we could blog about them. Not since the Pasta Boat have I been so excited for the mail carrier to come knocking and bring me Franny (yes I’ve already named her) and her little patch of grass and one little mushroom. I can’t wait for all the adventures we will go on together and all the things we will see.

I know it sounds silly and childlike, but with things like the shooting in Oregon, which defies any comprehension or understanding.  With the ramblings of the elections.  With the disaster that are the refugees in Europe and the all around feeling of helplessness I have for these families and their situations.  The floods in South Carolina. I need a distraction. I don’t mean for that to sound heartless and dismissive, but my heart aches for all those people, and I struggle with how to help. I wish I could send every little child who has made it to safety a little Franny.   But for now, I’ll just have to take Franny places and share the stories through technology that I fight every day and hope it will bring a small smile to anyone who needs one.

Photo Cred:  www.miniatureplasticdeer.com