my careless contagion

I couldn't resist. I had to come back to this well and take another drink. If you don't care to come along, skip it and read about celebrity weddings or something. It's probably equally nourishing to the soul. I don’t know if I will post regularly. Just having fun with this space. Onward. The happy meal ad actually says, "If your children aren't happy, return them." Which is so funny, right? Cus we all hate unhappy kids. Sheesh. Have you seen the movie The Founder, which is the true story of the founding of McDonald's? It's one of the saddest things I've ever seen. No number of happy meals could cheer me up after seeing that. But let's not be sad, folks! I'm back writing this tripe again. That's cause for celebration! Let's have some cake! Nothing says "celebration" like cake. And cake should be moist, as we all know. The moister the better. Let's add pudding to make it super moist! Why can't I stop saying moist? I...

Oh my. How have I gone this long without mentioning Sunshine On My Shoulders? John Denver, please forgive me.  Since John was known for his conservation efforts, many assume this song is just another ode to the environment. It is not. It is a love song . The key to that is found in  the first verse, which, curiously, comes after the first chorus. Yes, the song starts with the chorus, which isn’t completely unheard of. The song is also very long by today’s radio standards at more than five minutes. (By contrast, a typical punk rock song is about two and a half.) Maybe people had more time to listen to a song about sunshine in 1971 when it was released. I don’t know, but I love this song. The first verse tells the listener what all the fuss is about. Yeah, sunshine is great and makes things grow. So what? “If I had a day that I could give you, I’d give to you a day just like today. If I had a song that I could sing for you, I’d sing to you a song to make you feel this way,” sing...

Eight years ago I embarked on a new adventure. It was time to move. I was living in Ohio but learned my ex was pregnant (April 1, actually) while we were visiting my parents in Florida. I wanted to be the best dad I could be. For some reason, God took this heart desire and led me out of Ohio, leaving sinful practices behind.  One of those sins was alcoholism. It was in April eight years ago I quit drinking. I memorialize this fact every year because it was a miracle. Everything God does for us is a miracle, but this was quite a big one. I was mired in self-defeat and suicidal thoughts. I was literally trying to kill myself with drink, though I didn't even understand the reasons why. When I stopped drinking, it opened the door to further obedience, which opened more doors and brought about more miracles. In the years that followed, I became free in many more ways.  It shows you God takes what little we do, what little we give Him, and multiplies it. Give Him a little obedience ...

Everything has Changed (a song with a rather passive title) by Taylor Swift (and some English guy named Ed) is a good metaphor for spring. When before everything was coiled in sleep, colored in grays and browns, and dead, now everything is new again. (And, one could argue, spring is also a good metaphor for a woman, as both can be unpredictable.) We all go through seasons. What season am I living through now? Could it be a season of rebirth? Renewal? Life springing out of the once-dead ground? This song even has an organic sound, all guitars and voices and brushes, much like what goes on during springtime. The melding of male and female voices could also point toward spring. And, well, love is an incredibly organic yet spiritual thing that often defies explanation. It grows under sometimes the harshest of conditions, poking out of dry earth or miry snow, undaunted. Love and spring are both miracles. All I know is my heart is as adamant and undeterred as spring. Am I taking this too far...

Here we go again. Clownin' around. Looking to add a special glow to your hours of fun and fancy. Whatever that means. I don't understand why clowns come up so frequently in old advertising, but perhaps we can find out! Dare to follow along? No? Want to stay here with the creepy clowns instead? That's what I thought. Here we go!  What's worse than a clown sipping soda? Possibly nothing. Except maybe a dead clown hawking ice cream. Why are his eyes exed out? This is the universal symbol for dead in cartoon land. Some things we'll never know. Perhaps the 50s were more accepting of clowns. Personally, I think they're creepy. I'd hate to let my personal bias affect my audience, but let's just agree to be done with the clowns for now. Actually, the Sealtest brand is no longer alive, as I found out. Might it have something to do with Martin Luther King Jr. telling people to boycott the brand? Maybe. But I'm sticking with the clown theory. People don't l...