Everything becomes a metaphor

BRIGHTNESS.

All around there are diamonds.

The tiniest flakes of moisture were freezing in the air as I watched the sunrise filtering through their magic dust this morning from Morris Ertman's window. Stunning.

Then later as I walked to coaching, the frozen ponds, blanketed with snow, had so many sparkles twinkling at me I had to keep checking to see if the snow wasn't really moving as water - it was so reflective!

Wow.

Beautiful, but chilly.

I've gotten good use out of my boots and snow pants already and seem to live in my long underwear day and night without quite realizing it.

I got on a puzzle craze this week. Weston and I did the Santa one, and then he wanted to do a bigger one, so I pulled out my favorite puzzle of all time: the 1000 piece Twas the Night Before Christmas puzzle.

I know this puzzle so well (from so many Christmases growing up) that if you showed me a piece, 9 times out of 10 I could tell you where it goes.

First, I sorted them in terms of edge and then color and place and now it's almost done. The boys have helped a bit but I've really done most of it.

And so... because I'm also in playwriting mode (with a deadline starting to loom over my head), everything is about story. I'm putting the pieces together and I'm suddenly inside them as characters. "Oh I don't know where I fit in." "Hey we share a similar color, think we could be a match?" "Let's see... no, no.... yes! A perfect fit!" "Oh, I can't find my shape anywhere. I wonder if there really is a picture that we all fit into, or if it's just a random hoax." "No. I'm sure there's a picture, if you could just see it from above... look, we all have a similar color on the back! - That must indicate some kind of intention." "Hey guys, there's another spot of Reds gathering over there!" "Oh, I'm in the wrong crowd!" "I knew I was meant to be by the reindeer, I just didn't know they had red on their backs!" "Oh, he's a corner... we all reference him." "I'm and edge piece?! Yeah! You'd never know by looking because my straight side is so short, but -- yes! I fit in here!" "Hey, dude, I've seen your shape on the other side of the world, man. Everyone's filled in but your shape!" "Oh, thank you, thank you... I found my place at last --and we tell a whole story!"

Ha!

OK, so it's really more of an allegory of life, but I think it could make a great play.

Why is it all these OTHER ideas come when I'm supposed to be solving the biggest creation on my plate?