Semi-Daily Scribbles

Gary was happiest when he could lose himself in the comforting familiarity of the mundane, like going around the yard picking up Scruffy's turds. The physical task was manageable; objective clear. Comforted by a daily routine, Gary let go of all the anxiety that trapped him in the past, or propelled him forward in time to some such social situation he always feared, like a job interview. There were bigger matters at hand than how strangers, and even acquaintances, perceived him. Gary felt he'd beaten back the enemy; got the better of the bullies in school who ridiculed his love of etymology and grammar, when he gave himself over entirely to the type of conscious engagement found only in poop scooping and laundry folding. In the performance of these activities, Gary discovered contentment resided in the sliver of time between thought and action. When Gary caught hold of a flittering piece of eternity, it felt to him like pulling warm towels out of the dryer.