June 6, 2018 Tom Foolery

Well, now you know that I use Pic-Collage. I don’t pay them anything, so I guess they’re entitled to a little free advertising to the half dozen or so people who read my blog.

But what I really wanted to talk about is writing. And dandelions. And Cinderella. With a little writer’s prestidigitation, I will pull a scarf out of my sleeve that manages to link these together.

I’ll admit to having a somewhat fanciful imagination. I suggested a writing assignment for Pete when he was 6 or 7 that went thusly: “Write about a brand new pencil in a store and how it feels sitting on the shelf waiting to be purchased.” When I was a child, I would have been all over that assignment like hair on a gorilla. Pete gave me a look that said two things at once: 1. What kind of tom foolery is this? and 2. I am NOT doing this. As looks go, it was fairly eloquent. He turned out to be a great writer, but this kind of thing was not his muse.

But I’m still inclined that way. So when I saw a dandelion this morning, I began thinking about how beautiful they are and yet how overlooked and even reviled. People just don’t routinely grow these buttery blossoms for bouquets. Dandelions don’t get invited to the ball (See? We’re getting there!). And when God turns their yellow rags into a gossamer gown worthy of a grand event, the clock is ticking. At midnight, the wind blows, and the gown is gone.

Some of you are thinking, “What kind of tom foolery is this?” I’ll answer that: it’s my kind.

I’ll probably delete this in the morning.