I aspire to be a glass of milk in this world of Animal Crackers: a humongous, enormous, Oktoberfest-style stein overflowing with calcium-enriched, nutritionally loaded, creamy goodness.
Yes, I said “creamy goodness.â€
The type of creamy goodness that inspires people to tear through the cardboard circus cages of life and set their true selves free; a creamy goodness strong enough to dissolve the cookie-cutter shapes that sublimate us, to gnaw away at the animalian masks behind which we cower and usher in an era of untold individuality.
Why be normal? Why not? What’s so great about ordinary, anyway? Think about it. Say the word out loud. Go ahead. Now ask yourself: would you rather be ordinary or extraordinary?
Being extraordinary isn’t all that hard. You don’t have to become a ranting, raving champion of the unusual, all you need to do is celebrate the concept of change, view it not as something to be feared, but as an opportunity for growth. Ask the tough questions. Be a little revolutionary. Stand for something other than The Norm.
And no, that doesn’t mean you have to ardently support the Fair Tax (though it would be a good idea), petition Fox to get sensitivity training for Simon Cowell or work toward toppling America’s two-party political system.
In this day and age, simply taking a stand is enough to set you apart from the crowd (unfortunately). Comport yourself with honor, be a little less “what’s in it for me†and a little more “what can I do for you?†and people will take note. Open-mindedness and tolerance, forgiveness and chivalry...these things go a long way. (Guys, try telling a woman she’s beautiful instead of “f--king hot†and you’ll see what I mean.)
It might not be the easiest path to follow, but the destination’s a great place to be.
Behold...The Sword in the Stack (From the blog of the artist, R.L. Alexander) "This image was proposed by Christopher Lawrence based on an idea he had of a sword being stuck in a stack of books. A young jester is able to remove the sword and thereby free the knowledge contained in the tombs. He is watched in his endeavor by an interesting group of characters who all have a stake in his success or failure: a unicorn, pale faced owl, Cheshire cat, lollipop soldier, dragon, dragon trainer with a baby dragon, wizard, cymbal smasher, two pages, and an assassin."
At present, I'm slaving over my laptop, trying to meet the deadline for my second non-fiction book, tentatively entitled "Legends." A history of painted art/pop culture, it'll be a monster of a tome, chock full of some of the most amazing images the world has ever seen.
As for my first book, it hit bookstore shelves in November 29, 2006. Here it is...well, the cover, at least...in all its resplendent glory.