This is a seagull I like that has nothing to do with this post. I just like him. And he looks well rested and in good focus, unlike my mind currently.
I’m in a strange place and so tired I couldn’t find my way back to my hotel room without directions. Not find my hotel mind you, but the room, within the hotel. When I finally got back to my room I spent five frantic minutes searching for my driver’s license. Earlier in the day I had demagnetized my room key and couldn’t find my id to prove who I was so they would let me back into my room. Thankfully I found my passport and that took that. But it did lead to my desperate search, which would have been much shorter if I hadn’t been so tired that my brain stopped working.
Brain – Go to sleep.
Me – I have to finish this work.
Brain – I’ve prevented your fingers from functioning to make you give up on work, don’t make me take out any of your other bodily functions.
Me – I don’t know where my id is, I have to search for it.
Brain – I’ve turned off higher reasoning.
Me – Why isn’t my id in the bathroom?
Brain – I just told you, I’ve turned off your higher reasoning.
Me – Maybe I put it in the pocket of the pants I wore yesterday for safe keeping.
Brain – Maybe higher reasoning wasn’t the best choice, on my part, here have it back, but I’m giving you a huge headach.
Me – Ow.
So long story short, I found it…in my wallet…right where I left it, and now I have a headache. Plus I feel really bad about judging the guy on the plane who held up our flight (for over an hour) because he lost his id. Ok, I feel a little bad at least. After all I lost my id in the hotel room, and inconvenienced myself. He lost his id between the top of the gangway (where he showed it) and his seat. How do you lose your id walking down and empty hall and sitting down? And he inconvenienced a whole plane full of people while they deplaned him and his luggage, which of course had been loaded first so they had to unload everyone’s luggage to get to it. But I got to watch a movie on the complimentary ear-buds that the airline gave us for our inconvenience, so you know, silver lining.
Writing Exercise:
You’re trapped on a plane. No, don’t panic, I don’t mean right now (this is just pretend). The AC is broken, and they won’t let you leave (after all its just a slight technical delay that will be resolved soon). Four hours later you, and two hundred sweaty strangers are still stranded. Ok I’ve set the scene, now what would you do? Are you the heroic person who has a fit and finally pulls the emergency door open, then dumps tiny cups of water down the inflatable slide to create a slip and slide of freedom? Do you start taking stewardesses hostage until they reveal the location of the tiny cans of coke and extra peanuts? Or, do you start a revolt, declare the plane a sovereign nation and send a petition to the flight crew that their presence in your country is a threat to national security and if they don’t leave you will have to protest to the UN? Did I mention I’m tired? Anyway, spend twenty minutes trapped on a plane (in pretend world), pen in hand, and see what happens. Happy writing.
