Update: I originally wrote this last night, I’ve rewritten the last two paragraphs because they were essentially unreadable. Now, I’m going to watch Revolver.
Kim decided to go see a movie with ‘the girls’ this evening, so Abby was left with me. She was fussy at first, but by the time I had her diaper changed, the car loaded, and the baby Bjorn adjusted, she was pretty much conked out. We met her uncle Brian at Starbucks, she woke up to eat and all that, and then he left and we went to Borders, because it’s her favorite.
I found the Orson Scott Card book I was looking for, “Characters and Viewpoint” and Abby got to ride around in her Bjorn. She really enjoys that thing, it settles her right down. That is, until I try to pull her out.
Oddly, the attendant told me that I was the second person wearing a baby (bjorn) who asked him where the books on writing were.
I was thinking about the odds of it. In the same day, two people wearing a baby went to the same Borders and asked the same employee where the “writing” section was. Maybe there’s someone else out there who looked at his daughter, who held her, who kissed her face, and said to himself, “Self…I can’t keep leaving her. There’s got to be a better way to live.” And if he does exist, I’d love to meet him. I’d love to talk to him over a cup of coffee, to figure out what he thinks about writing, and art and music, family and manhood, to see how similar we are.
He may exist, but I’d like to posit another possible reality…What if, in the future, I invent a time machine. I go back in time to get the last copy of a discontinued first edition of an important writing book. Since my future self was wearing a baby, it must have been a very near-future me. And if I was willing to risk Abby in a dangerous and untried time travel machine, the book must be extremely important. Despite my future-self knowing where the writing books were, I’d have to ask that attendant about it, to set the ball in motion…And that’s why I have to take Abby, so the attendant makes the connection and makes that comment to now-me, so now-me will know that the other guy is really future-me, and understand what I need me to do! If that’s the case, I need to go get started on my time machine right now!
and then he left and we went to Borders, because it’s her favorite.
haha - yah.
Oh wait, David will want to know WHY I think that’s funny (have I ever mentioned, Davie boy, that you and my hubby share this fantastic trait? haha). Do you like this song, yes, it’s good… why is it good? What in particular did you like about it? hahaha - I heart you guys!
Moving on…
Maybe it’s because I know you “IRL” that I hear you saying everything you write about real life - so when you detail a true life event I hear you say it. So the way the in-my-head David said “because it’s her favorite” was just the best.
Alternate explanation - A new study shows that publishers are more sympathetic to a “father figure” than the until-now ever-popular “crazy uncle” figure (Hunter S. Thompson, William Burroughs, etc.). In an effort to keep on the bleeding edge, authors nationwide have been sighted wearing babies in the same way that they used to look authorly by wearing cardigans, smoking pipes, and being unfaithful to their wives. There have been concerns, however, because no one is really sure where these babies are coming from or whose they really are, sparking a national movement to require all babies to have necklaces put around their necks with the name of their owner and if they’ve had their shots. The bill is expected to pass the house but get tripped up in the Senate.
Also, you should be listening to Revolver, not watching it.
This might be the best thing I’ve ever read.