Off the Cuff / My Other Journal

Yesterday

Last night the tail end of the storm Alberto dislocated me, carrying me away from my computer into the living room. Thus, a sheet of paper and a pencil produced the following piece:

Playing the Screen

         Your bare legs on the ottoman, you sit, aiming at the TV with your right hand which holds your gift from God, the remote.

         As soon as you sit in that chair, your special relationship with that clicking marvel comes alive. You pick it up gently, with sensitive caressing motions as if it were a virgin. I always expect you to kiss it next, once you embrace the remote with your fingers. After you capture it, the remote shape-shifts into a wild vixen, grudging any sort of a pause while it charms you from channel to channel, not lingering in any one stop for more than half a second.

         As the channels flip away, I blink to make sure my eyes are left behind…with me, and I gawk at your captivated face that now sails in dreamland far from planet earth, exploring space travel at the highest light speeds. At that moment, you abruptly turn to me, trapping my gaze. Then, leaning back in your chair, you launch your sweetest smile, dimples and all.

         So, I smile back, still hesitating to tell you--for fear of your belly laugh--that the next movie I really want to watch at the Regency is Disney's new hotshot kiddie flick, "Cars."