the things you cannot change

My inner life, that conglomeration of my thoughts, dreams and ideas, is as real as my outer existence. To me, one is just an extension of the other. And, more often than not, they all come crashing together. Yes, we all say that, but I walk the walk. I spend most of my time inside my head anyway, so this only makes sense. Inside my head, anything is possible. Imagine if you could carry that same malleability to the outside world.

Everything I see is filled with possibility. This extends to the random fragments we encounter each day. Perhaps especially the random fragments. Nature abhors a vacuum, and my mind can't stand loose ends. Sometimes I wish I had a film crew to document my life, outer and inner, and bring them both together for everyone to see. It would be the most surreal movie ever filmed.

Random comments heard in passing take on a life of their own, and the library is filled with random comments. Take the bit that you hear and plug in your own ending. It's that simple. Like the time I overheard a mom telling her kid that Velcro didn't exist before he was born, or, better yet, like today. On my way to the desk I passed a mother and child nestled together in a big comfy chair. The mom was explaining that race and sex are two things you can't change. How sweet. And that was all I heard as I proceeded along my path. In my mind, however, the story continued.

A mother and child sit nestled in a big, blue comfy chair, sharing a moment of closeness.

"Your race and sex are two things you can't change, dear," the mother says. The child looks up at her unquestioningly and smiles.

Suddenly my head appears over the child's shoulder and whispers two words into his ear. "Bowie did."

Mist appears, the sky opens, and the camera cuts to 20 or 30 seconds of vintage footage of Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie in raging, androgynous glory.

The image fades, revealing the child in a completely mind-blown state. "WOW," he gasps.

The mother is never heard from again.

Of course some people will dismiss this as a coping mechanism, while others will say I'm completely and hopelessly nuts. I only know that where my mind leads, I follow, and it makes for a colorful day.

I think this also explains why I should never, ever have children.