At The Urging of a Toddler...

We were reading books at the edge of bed, Zo all tucked in, and me sitting on the floor beside her.  It was something halfway good about raccoons and getting lost and finding your way home...some pretty common library fodder, when we were about to clamp the book shut after the last page, and were just about to utter the usual, おしまい (oshimai) meaning "it's over, the end, that's all, Goodnight Irene," well not literally, when we spotted the authors photo on the back flap of the book.  Zoey pointed it out and so I told her that she was the woman who had written the book.  I asked her if she was going to have her picture on the back flap of a book someday.


"No," she said matter-of-factly, "I don't think I will."


"Oh," I uttered sadly, "that would have been cool."


"No, I think you should," she smiled, "I think you should have your picture in a book and then Mummy and me will read it."


"I should do that?" I said curiously.  We've never talked about such things.


"Yes," she said emphatically, "You should write a book and get your picture in it, and I'll read it."


An odd exchange, or perhaps not...either way, I suppose I shouldn't disappoint my daughter.  I mean, it'd be easy enough to just wrap up what I've got and print them up.  I just kind of never get around to it, like a lot of things in our lives, only this time my daughter's called me on it.  Strangely without any real knowledge that there were projects cooking.


I've decided that it's not all that different from the day job.  You know, a lot of attention paid to things that no one else is paying attention to.  I kinda just want to make do and make beautiful things, even if nobody else cares.  Sounds strange, maybe...but I don't care.  I've noticed my head and heart made much lighter with beautiful things...made much lighter than the rest of the distractions in my life could ever make me...and yet we don't chase after that feeling.  i don't know why?  Practicality, embarrassment?  Whatever it is we need to forget it and chase all that good stuff.  I suppose that's how people become sommeliers, and musicians, and foodies, and the like.  They just want beautiful things.  All my daughter wants is to see her Dad's picture in the back of a book, so...quit typing and start publishing, you fool.