I wish when I was born my first word had been "quote" so my last word could be "unquote".
Steven Wright
Steven Wright
SIDEWAYS
The other day in town I watched a snappy and cheery kid working in a used record store (where our son was once manager) making up used DVDs into 3-packs and putting one of his catchy label titles onto each packet. After he tied them up in a red ribbon. It's the day after New Year's.
As I was watching I was wondering how long a person could get away doing this. What age? At 40 it would start to look a little grim.
Earlier, while making the rounds of the store I had noticed these spiffy packets and leaned in to read the label titles and they were humorous and touching.
He was now done with his ribbon decorating and had the label on and looked stumped as to what to write. Everything is an advertisement.
I asked, "What are the films?" This is how I introduced myself to the youngster. He looked up and smiled and he had that look of patience-impatience in all of his expression and face and skin color and even the slender body. I had briefly interrupted a mind in challenged thought.
He was still smiling when he said "Rush Hour"...and that included a bunch of the sequels. Dopey stuff for sure, but appropriate for sometime in any life.
I suggested, "How about: 'It's A Rush!' "
I could tell from times with my once teenage son I had hit a mark. He liked it. He started to write the magnificent words down onto his very small white label.
I wanted to give him a little bit more since I wasn't keen on being thought of as some guy who just interrupts label thinkers. I said, "That's what I do."
The kid was still looking down writing and said, " Do what, write labels?"
I loved that comment! — the jolly nerve of it all.
I smiled and said, "No. Write."
He looked at me sideways and purred, "Ooohhh".
That's us. Writers. Sideways.
After we got this all out of the way we both started to banter about my suggestion "It's a Rush!". I said we could have gone with "Such a Rush" which has that Suchy "Such" to it, something that slows the tongue and mind down just a hair, just enough to make it not even close to the "It's" in: It's a Rush!, which is more definite and sure and barreling right at you so you had better duck.
Bob Arnold says: go for the mundane, relish it, preen it, gobble it up with both hands!
