One is all it takes:
One man scorned and covered with scars still strove with his last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable stars; and the world was better for this.- Cervantes (Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra), Don Quixote
Category Archives: From the Mind of Muggington
Cardboard world
I woke at the crack of dawn. I leaned against the wall and my dirty blue sleeping bag covered my chest.
It sure is hot and steamy today.
I rose onto an elbow and the cardboard shifted. Damn, this is the best piece yet. I looked at the gigantic sheet of corrugated paper. It must have come from a big appliance or something.
I propped up my sign and put the plastic bucket in front of it. I have a feeling. Today is going to be a good day.
Time out
I say we get rid of it. We already have space, matter and energy. That should be more than enough for us.
We can start with clocks. Take out the batteries. Take them to the recycling center.
Calendars have got to go too. Put them in your recycling bin. They will make good mulch at the landfill.
No more schedules for you. Forget about days of the week, months and years. Toss out all those interminable centuries and eons.
Doesn’t that feel better?
The Two Mates
Junior is the bigger of the two. As soon as I put the water and food dishes in he trots over to the food and begins to chew on a nugget. DJ is much smaller and naughtier. He jumps right into the water dish. I swear he is smiling at me as he luxuriates in the cool liquid. He waggles his front and hind legs in the water with delight.
I think they are more intelligent than they look. Sometimes I catch them vocalizing and I wonder what they are saying.
…
“Finally,” Junior said. “Yeah,” it’s about time,” DJ said. “He looks rough this morning,” DJ said. “I suppose he’ll throw in one of those lousy rinds of watermelon,” Junior said. “Doesn’t he notice that we never eat it?”
“I wonder how intelligent he is,” Junior said. “I know he’s bigger than us but in the brains department I just don’t know.” “The female is a lot smarter,” DJ said. “You’re right DJ. Maybe the females have a bigger brain,” Junior said.
DJ crawled out of the water dish and moved to the glass wall. “Now DJ stop that. It’s not nice,” Junior said. “You shouldn’t make funny faces at the humans. Don’t descend to their level.”
Pizza man
You’re mine
I sit up at the top. I have a great view from here. In fact what I say goes. He doesn’t know it, but I’m in charge. I make him go get a bag of potato chips and another beer even when he knows he shouldn’t.
Most people don’t realize the truth. Brains rule minds. You can learn facts and principles and practice and acquire skills. You can use all the logic you want. When decision time comes, what I say goes. I can make my human do anything I want. Even if he doesn’t want to.
It’s pretty cool being in charge. I basically have a personal robot at my command. It’s ironic how smart that mind can become but it still can’t stop me.
What shall I make him do today?
One fine morning
Fresh cool air rushes in as I yank open the window. After the sticky heat of yesterday it’s a great relief. The Sun blazes in the East like a ball of fire in the treetops.
Here I sit in front of my keyboard. I begin to press keys and neurons fire and then it begins.
I see the jogger making his rounds. He is quite slim and wearing white socks pulled up as far as they will go. I take this as an indication of his having attained at least middle age with its corresponding loss of fashion sense. He looks fit and ready for anything.
Here he comes again into view. What’s that? I see a shimmer in the air in his path. I must be seeing what the eye doctor called ‘floaters’. No, it’s still there. Something is on the path. I don’t know where it came from but now it is becoming clearer.
I see a swirling cloud of gold and it is approaching the jogger. Apparently he can’t see it and I wonder if I should call out. Too late.
Amble
Crickets
Night walk
A blanket of clouds covered the stars. I approached the grass with care. I remembered being told that you should shuffle your feet and make as much noise as possible. That would scare them away. I couldn’t see a thing. I might as well be blind.
I entered the knee high grass and headed in the direction of the hole in the fence. Once I reached it, I could take the dirt path on the other side. My knees shook and the grass brushed against my trousers. I saw the faint outline of the fence. Lights from faraway huts twinkled in the distance. My eyes had adapted to the darkness.
I reached the ragged hole in the fence and gave a sigh of relief. Then it rose up. It looked like a curved black whip. The head reached my shoulder and its mean eyes glared at me. I saw the forked tongue flickering, tasting the air in preparation for a strike. I stood motionless. I knew I had no chance.