Originally published in The Written Voice, April 2006
Imagine things as they once were. Wander amongst the lilies. Run with the bulls on Wall Street in the middle of summer. Build a mountain that people can ski on without ice. Compose an opera in Italian and then memorize it backwards in Greek.
Smell flowers as if you were a puppy smelling the world for the first time. Protest the War in Iraq. Recognize that there is a strong racial divide in this country between green and all the other colors. Acknowledge the fact that classical musicians were the first “sell-outs”. Understand that Dr. Seuss was a genius. Understand that Ray Charles was a genius. Be thankful for what you have got. Always believe in a higher power than what you understand. Stay humble. Squeeze both firm and flabby body parts often and with enthusiasm. Re-arrange the furniture in your house so as to confuse any blind ghosts that you might have roaming around your property. Call your mother. Have awkward, yet meaningful and important phone conversations with your father. Only complain to the people who love you, lie to everybody else. Follow your dreams. Always bet on black. Follow the yellow brick road only if you have not had more than three drinks in the last three hours. Contemplate the meaning of what it is to be American. Fear for the future. Get a tattoo that means nothing to you, but something to everybody else. Acknowledge that your penis is not the biggest penis in the history of mankind. Wonder why the woman stays with you, when you don’t make any money and the sex isn’t always spectacular. Remember to look both ways when crossing the street. Drink water. Forgive the people who have hurt your feelings. Hold a grudge against those people who have wasted your time. Fight the power. Let love rule. Read a book. Do something nice for somebody who you don’t like. Chop garlic with your imagination. Eat Tofu on a Tuesday in Tibet with Tiny Tim, then, take a ten minute break for some me time.