Trick or Treat! Handing out candy...

Jerry Seinfeld has a great bit about Halloween. Paraphrasing a bit, it goes something like, "You mean there's a day when kids get to go to a stranger's house and beg for candy? Really? And, it's okay? They even get upset if you don't?" It really is a crazy tradition, but also so much fun. As a parent with teenagers, I'm now at the opposite side of things where I'm the one handing out treats. And, I'm actually looking forward to it. Not just because I'll see a bunch of kooky costumes, but for the simple pleasure of making children happy.

 

I've never seen a cuter dog!

I know the origins of the holiday, and many of the gruesome tales about events that have happened. But, American culture has diluted any symbolism into caricatures that mean nothing much at all to most of us. Right now it's as much a reason to have candy as Christmas and Easter and Valentine's Day. It's probably because we love candy and will create nearly any reason to get more. I think it really is that simple.

 

So, are you going to dress up? I plan on covering myself in paint and breathing fire like a dragon ... well, probably not. Truth is, I've never been much for costumes (I was always a ghost--a sheet with two holes cut in it). But, I was really good at it! I even faked out my grandparents once by duck-walking around and speaking in a high voice. Yup, I totally fooled them! I am the pinnacle of stealth and deception ... yarr!

 

- M

Flashbacks, Dreams, Time Jumps and other techniques to tell backstory.

A common method to tell a character's backstory is to do a flashback. Because it's already happened, the danger is that the momentum of the story get's stopped cold. So, it better be really important! Dreams function in the same way, but could also show events taking place elsewhere (but at the current time), or another time in past or future. But, it still takes the audience out of the main story and possibly stalls the plot. I'm no expert on the subject, though I do have my favorite method (which is to let backstory come out as part of natural dialogue over the course of the story).

Recently, I've seen time jumping as a favorite method. With this it's not necessarily a flashback--because what's happening is current, it's just in a different time--so the plot steams forward without stalling. I do like this method and it will keep an audience's attention. However, the audience is then tasked with the need to remember multiple time points and keep everything sorted out. Still, it's a good method.

Probably the funniest (because it's awful) way of giving a character's backstory is to have some unknown (like an oddly informed beggar) saunter in with exactly the necessary information and then disappear. I seem to remember the original Star Trek doing that. It's simple, easy, keeps the plot moving right along, and is completely silly. It's the backstory version of Deus Ex Machina (more commonly known as "The Writer wants you to know this, so pay attention!") Just shove it in there and move on.

Whatever technique you use, remember the cardinal rule: keep the story going like a roller coaster and your audience will stay interested and ride along with you.

- M

Alakazam! It's fixed, er, broken, well, I can work with this ...

Ever hear the saying, "You first must break a thing to make it work." No? Well, perhaps I just made it up. But, it does happen a lot where you make an oops into a eureka! Life is a lot like that, I suppose. But, I was really thinking about when we are desperately trying to make something, anything, happen and all that results is a pile of broken pieces. Then, with a bit of thought and frustration, we create a workable thingie that isn't a complete failure. Case in point ... I now have a shower that points up, but works great!

 

Being a parent is also like that over and over. I lost track of the times I've goofed up, only to return with some words of wisdom to pass along. And, I'm really serious here, it was worth doing. All of it. The idea that our kids get to see how we fail, get frustrated, and finally burst through is a dynamic life lesson (one I'm sure we wished we could ignore). Our children get a glimpse of our true selves, unveiled, for all to see. If you're like me, you cringe at the thought. But, we can fix it. We are works in progress, and if we break a piece off, then use the left over pieces from something else. It'll work if you tweak it a bit...

Yes, this is totally an accurate representation of me.
All accusations that this is some fakery called He-Man is ridiculous.

All silliness aside, why are we so afraid to fail? In stories, the heroes fail all the time ... reliably. Yet, we are on the edge of our seats, because we know they cannot possibly fail in the end. What makes us think we aren't the heroes in our own stories? Shouldn't we be? I doubt I'll ever have superpowers, but I sure am going to win at the end. Count on it. In a blaze of glory, with a sword held high. Count on it!

 

- M

Saturday football

Our family has a long-term tradition of Saturday football. It's been going on for generations actually. I'm not much of a sports fan myself, but I can see the appeal. You have two teams vigorously battling each other in mock wars, throwing bombs and breaking through scrimmage lines. Being a student of battlefield tactics, I love the strategy and how coaches and quarterbacks read the field. As we watch, we will do our designated "armchair quarterbacking." (It's not just fun, it obvious we're right and the coaches are wrong. Always.)

Traditions are a fun part of family life. And, despite careful planning at first, the traditions just kind of develop naturally. You can never quite anticipate what they'll be. That's part of the joy. Seeing your family grow and change is amazing. I'd never change one bit of it, both good and bad. Although I wish I could get back the Sunday morning cinnamon rolls ... yummy!

 

My wife fondly remembers going on Sunday afternoon drives, wherever the whimsies of fancy took them. You can do that in a small town with access to long winding country roads. In a metropolitan area, such as we live in now, it's a bit different since it's mainly new and exciting construction and concrete we encounter. I also remember fun things we did as children, but one of my very favorite memories was when my brother and I dug a deep hole in the backyard. (We had the great idea of making an underground lair beneath our shed ... well, we were kids ... it didn't pan out, but we still had all kinds of drawings about the final results.)

 

- M

The new Star Wars trailer is out, and already breaking records at the box office!

Way back, far away, and seeming ages ago, Star Wars blasted into theatres and forever changed cinema. Star Wars ushered in a new kind of special effects, and brought audiences into the future with glee and vigor. The story was unashamedly heroic, with larger than life heroes, acts of dastardly evil, and incredible sacrifice. It gave us a world of wonder and danger, wrapped in effects so dazzling we still point to them as groundbreaking.

 

And now, we have the preview of what's to come with the new story (Episode 7, The Force Awakens). The 88 second video practically crashed the internet, and ticket sales have gone so crazy that some are selling them on EBay for $10,000. It's crazy. Maybe the reason is because the story displayed by the preview is epic and what we've been begging for since the very first Star Wars. I hope the actual movie lives up to the hype--since reality never seems to match up to hype. Here's hoping Disney knows what it's doing with this one.

 

If this new vision of Star Wars is successful, I predict a new swell of stories copying the myth. That's not bad at all. In fact, I welcome it, since I love science fiction. Maybe will all the new money pouring in to fantastical worlds it will bring fresh creative talent into the mix. I doubt I could ever have enough space adventures ... or fantasy ones either.

 

May the Force be with you!

 

- M

Let there be water! Showering triumphs of the day.

Ever get excited over little things? I am. My new showerhead arrived today and oh is it glorious! I can't believe how happy I am, but it's the simple things that make you happiest. Like having functioning shoes or clean air. I find showering to be up at the top of my list--I loathe baths, and couldn't fit in one anyway being that I'm 6 foot 4 inches. I can only imagine myself crumpled into a wet wad of unhappy skin, spooning water over my head... ugh, it's not a pretty picture.

 

Now, the question is, why does the silly thing drip? I probably didn't put enough plumbers tape on the end, but for now I'm just going to endure it and have a nice shower for once. I bought an extension and now the shower is finally high enough that I don't have to bend in half to get my hair wet. It's nice. Shiny too. Very shiny. In fact, I believe you could see enough of your reflection to shave. Not a bad idea actually.

 

My wife and children laugh that I'm easily amused, but who doesn't prefer a comfortable shower to a dip in icy mountain streams? Okay, there are some, but I'm not among them. I think it's important not to overlook the moments of absolute pleasure surrounding us every day. What we take for granted may well be the greatest things in our lives. Take a look around and enjoy life for what it is.

 

- M

Dragons at Halloween ... why not?

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At this time of year my mind tends toward the fantastic. And, nothing to me is more fantastical that dragons. Every culture seems to have them, and the variety is astounding. Maybe it's our way of putting form to the terrors of the night, but many dragons are considered good luck and not terrifying at all. There's a great video called "Dragon's World" which tries to put modern science to prove how dragons might exist (sure, it's goofy and silly, but I love the idea and it does have some pretty neat ideas). Still, dragons are magical and fun and marvelous to imagine.

 

I've been watching some cooking shows and saw a pretty neat preview where a pumpkin was carved into a dragon. I have absolutely no skill in art, so I'm dazzled by the effort. There are sculptures in ice, butter, clay, marble, and even fireworks (yup, watch the first Lord of the Rings movie, Fellowship of the Ring, to see what I mean). Humans are imaginative in their art, so I doubt there's any substance that hasn't been used for making a dragon.

 

I wonder if I can dress up like a dragon for Halloween? Hmm ... I'm getting a disturbing vision of me belching hot sauce. I've never been much for dressing up, but this year could be different. I did dress as Superman once, but mostly I was in a sheet with holes cut for eyes (just like Charlie Brown). I didn't have much zest for creativity with my costumes. Oh well.

 

- M

 

Hmm, maybe just a dragon's head?

Pleasure in being totally worn out

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Have you ever worked so hard that by the end of the day you are too exhausted to crawl into bed? Or, how about exercising so vigorously that all you want to do is collapse on your bed and sleep--without changing into pajamas? And, don't forget playing so much that when you finally stop you get slammed by the tired truck and zonk out somewhere. It's all good, and it feels great knowing you've worn out your body in a good way.

 

Moving furniture is both pleasure and pain. On the fun side, it's great having the house looking like a house rather a yard sale. On the less pleasurable side, I'm sore, tired, and feeling a bit grouchy. Still, I'm glad it's done and my daughter now has a new desk--actually, I'm not sure it's a desk but instead some chuckling wood creature laughing at the cumbersomeness of the design and the impossible weight of it all. Yeah, her desk is a monster. Hallelujah for thrift stores! You can really find amazing deals there. (Just a tip for those looking)

 

So, now I'm slowing down, discovering what hurts after a very refreshing shower, and thinking about what else needs doing to get our house into shape. I'm thinking a good coat of "letting someone else do things for a while" sounds good. But, I know myself and I won't sit still for long. It's just not in my nature to let stuff sit around (yes, dad, I did say that finally). My kids will catch on eventually ... probably when I'm old and senile and every new move is a completely fresh adventure.

 

- M

A new grill! Let the barbeque feast begin!

I finally get to try out our new grill! Have I ever mentioned I love cooking on a grill? I particularly like charcoal, but I'm also fond of the ease of propane. So, this one is propane and I have quite a menu planned for this day. Hee hee, I'm already slobbering all over the keyboard. There's not anything nearly as good as food over an open flame, especially steak. Yum. ... I just wish I had enough teeth left to eat that, so I'll settle for chicken myself.

A grill powered by a Hemi engine! 250 hot dogs in 3 minutes!
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It really is funny how after all these centuries of human existence how we still cook over fancy campfires. And still roast marshmallows. And make an oopsie as we drop our meat in the fire. And forget to turn off the propane so we need a new tank. Maybe cooking with sticks isn't such a bad idea after all? Either way, I laugh how this simple method of cooking remains so common in our digital era. I'm still waiting for the magic ovens of Star Trek, or the plasma cookery I was promised through science fiction stories. Why is it every other part of modern life gets upgraded, but not the way we cook?

 

Back to my new grill, the sucker is huge. It's a gift from friends, and wow, they love us! We are truly dazzled by the present and are very grateful. I'm sure it'll get a lot of use, and it even has a full cover (so I won't be ruining another grill by leaving it out under the rain and snow ... whoops). So, I lift a pork chop toast to all the people cooking on grills today, and I hope you all enjoy full and satisfied stomachs.

 

- M

Wireless, anytime, always-on, unending access to the world

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We truly live in a world of wonder! Our great forefathers may have dreamed of knowing the whole world, but we have actually accomplished it. I imagine it won't be much longer before even the very ocean depths are living areas for adventurous souls. We take for granted that something can happen on the other side of the world, and we sit in our living rooms, watching it happen on our smart phones. Incredible.

All this access makes it easy to forget just how vast this world is, or how much is in it. Have you ever wondered if we've seen everything that matters? It reminds me of the old philosophers and thinkers who claimed that everything which could be invented had already been so forget about making anything new. Rubbish then and now. I hope we never forget that there's always something new, something unseen, and something special just around the corner.

 

I really miss the wide-eyed fascination of children. To them there is only the new and fresh, never old and boring. Every day I try to see things in a new way. Have you imagined gravity working from a different direction? Or perhaps imagined you were sitting on the wall staring down at the ground? How about if every light patch were dark and the darkness brightly lit? Or, goldfish are amazing because they look like they're blowing bubbles? Imagination isn't necessarily coming up with new things. Just use your imagination to find fresh fascination with a thing you've dealt with for years. How could you make it even better? Such thoughts are the playgrounds of invention.

 

- M

They do grow up, trust me on this, I have personal experience of this very event.

I was once a child, a kid if you will. And, I grew up. Really, I did. Now, it's debatable the exact nature of my adulthood, but I'm no longer a child. We all, eventually, do finally grow up. There are no Peter Pans among us. And yet, I feel like growing up isn't something especially tied with age. We all know people who we wish would just grow up a little. You could call that maturity, but it's the same concept.

 

After we were married, one thing my wife talked about frequently was how I was in some ways like a kid. She didn't know how to phrase it, but what she meant was that I have a ginormous imagination and love to use it a lot (like a child). I appreciated the compliment, though she didn't mean it as one to begin with--she does now though. Through her eyes, I was privileged to witness the wild fanciful nature of imagination, and now I see it reflecting out from hers as I grin at her. She and I love to sit and watch the clouds, naming off the many things we see in them. It's fabulous fun!

 

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So, don't worry too much about growing up. You will, and you shouldn't avoid it. But, feel free to keep the child alive inside and let yourself pop into youth now and again. Yes, as adults we can still behave like children, but I'm not talking about being petty and childish. Let out the part of you longing for barefoot Sundays and rolling in the grass. Don't bottle up the urges for wiggling your toes in the mud. Enjoy them!

 

- M

Moving and Unpacking

Moving is tiring, straining, and makes me want to ignore it. But, it's a process you can't do without. When you get a new house, you take your stuff and move it in. George Carlin did a great little bit about "A Place for My Stuff" and really captures my feelings about the whole issue. Happily, it's not a never ending process. Maybe robots will do it all in the future? That'd be nice. Of course, we could have used a moving company to do it all, but it seems a little silly to do that when we only moved a few miles away.

 

And then there's the unpacking. Ugh. Did some space alien label all my carefully packed boxes? I still can't find my razor. I dimly remember putting very specific labels on these boxes, but they're now cryptic and mysterious. It's like Christmas, because I don't have a clue what's inside. Every day I get presents! Oh, sigh, look it's ... underwear. Okay, on to the next box.

 

I shudder to imagine how military families move so very often. I'm sure you get better at it, expert even, but I doubt it's ever easy or simple. What's really funny is how quickly you fill up any new extra space you have. It's like pouring water into a strange jug--everything flows into the twists and turns until there's no space left (or if it's not full, we go out and find more). I applaud anyone who moves on a regular basis.

 

As for me, I can't wait until all the boxes are opened and the contents stored. The sooner this is done, the happier I'll be.

 

- M