The ability to recall whole film names has been replaced by the uncanny ability to recall poster art and the font of the title but not the title itself<\/em>; and my eyes have gradually reverted to defective hybrids of individual defections courtesy of my parents.<\/p>\n Take your finger and hold it a half-foot away from both eyes: not in focus? Used to be. What the fuck?<\/em><\/p>\n Used to be able to consume a lot of bread and candy without heartburn; I figure in 2 years I\u2019ll get acid reflux from drinking water, and cough up an intestine after eating a single rice wafer. Aging is not good, and anyone who believes there\u2019s grace in the process is delusional. You\u2019re falling apart, and soon you\u2019ll be a puddle of human goo, housed in a beaker jar, kept in the fridge in the dark, and when mold grows on your gooey nose, they\u2019ll know you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n That is the Scrooge\u2019s perspective of 2011, so let\u2019s move to the something not Cratchity, not Ghosts of Xmas past-y, but a simple observance this week that made me feel really, really good.<\/p>\n Orchidious Fredius Wandilius Purpliosium<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Tuesday I took the late train home, and watched an older lady step on with assorted bags, but swaying back & forth in her arms was an orchid plant<\/a>. She had a frumpish, unsettled expression, as though she\u2019d had to struggle through masses of annoying shoppers before finally beginning the trip home, to where peace and serenity exist in deep density.<\/p>\n Said lady shuffled her bags, repositioned the potted orchid, and kept glancing at it \u2013 not annoyed, but not content.<\/p>\n This alternating current of irritation went on for a few stops, and every few beats the lady would look at the rocking orchids blooms, as though she was thinking \u2018You made me do this. You stupid fragile thing that can\u2019t be petted or snuggled with. You rock like a drunk, and if I lose a single petal or your spine breaks, I\u2019d have lost a $60+ purchase and wasted time and energy transporting you home intact. What in hell was I thinking?\u2019<\/p>\n My stop was coming up, and she kept glancing away and back to the plant, away again, and back at the plant, trying to assess whether she liked the white & purple & green thing that had no business being transported through public places coursing with foolish, klutzy knuckleheads.<\/p>\n But when I stood up and waited for the train to reach my stop, I watched the lady in the window\u2019s reflection, and I caught the end result of all her fussing, and re-adjusting of said plant on her lap and safe grasp: satisfaction<\/em>.<\/p>\n Her face was still fairly rigid, and at one point may have been marinated in sourpuss juice, but her mouth loosened, relaxed, and her eyes receded into a calm state. I could very clearly discern she\u2019d realized she made a good move that day, and whatever annoyances happened her way, once she got home, this blooming \/ blumin\u2019 plant would bring colour, calm, and satisfaction to her home.<\/p>\n Perhaps it was a gift, but there seemed to be a clear, personal attachment between the lady and the plant; they\u2019d become friends, and she\u2019d now be its benefactor of light and water and temperature, and whenever things would get idiotic, all she had to do was look at the orchid flowers, and admire its uniqueness: uncompromising, undemanding, and a simple beautiful thing whose existence just happens to offer someone colour, shape, and a form that\u2019s just plain lovely.<\/p>\n For the lady, she ended the day with a simple prize, but for myself, I think I came out just as good by catching that look of being pleased with her potted orchid.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an example of focusing on simple things instead of big events, being anxious over masses of smiley happy people milling about seasonal iconography with glasses of heated glurg, and trying to be perfect because the guests are watching you very carefully (which they\u2019re not, because they\u2019re getting drunk on your booze cabinet).<\/p>\n If you can find that simple, pleasing relationship with a song, a drink, a poem, a candy, or a plant, do so<\/em>. The resulting smile will cut through even the thickest of bullshit (except foot monsters).<\/p>\n Happy Holidays \/ Bah Humbug.<\/p>\n .<\/span><\/p>\n .<\/span><\/p>\n Mark R. Hasan<\/strong>, Editor Flower power, or is the simple enjoyment of something white, purple, and green enough to cut through holiday and day-to-day bullshit (if just for a precious while)? Seasonal editorial blather, with actual profanity!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[964,965,966],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8nuyW-12M","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4016"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4016"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4016\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mondomark.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/P5110470_bb.jpg\" "\\"OLYMPUS")
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