Fat Red Cardinal

When you close your eyes, what do you see?

With perfect clarity, I can see the the cabin at Lake Ouachita (Arkansas) that Carla and I stayed at when Emily was very young.

Seconds later, I can transport myself to Creede, Colorado and see the spot on the mountain that resembles the continent of Africa.

Or I can imagine the Fat Red Cardinal in St. Louis.

Often I'll press the mental pause button during a moment to capture a distinct memory. Images to be catalogued in the mind for retrieval when levity is needed.

Sometimes the mental pause is planned, premeditated - "Clarence, you'll never be in this spot again. Enjoy it." Click.

Sometimes it is random, which I think appears to others as a trance. "Clarence, look at that plate of nachos!" Click.

Maybe "image" is too simple a concept. They are not merely snapshots. They are vivid, moving, emotional. They are connective, powerful.

When you look at the picture above, you may only see a Fat Red Cardinal. I see, no I feel, the Cardinal. I smell the stadium. I taste the nachos. Damn those nachos!

No Regrets.