Digging for Magic in the Chat Pack

The questions are random and the answers are from the heart. This is my second Chat Pack post. If you’ve never heard of these packs, they feature a set of cards that are printed with various random questions. These are meant to be ice breakers, conversation starters, teaching tools, table topics for short speeches, or used for whatever purpose you want. In short, they are meant to light sparks that kindle something greater.

Used as the basis of a post, these questions force me to explore topics I would not otherwise have considered. That prompts me to write in new directions earn new things, and even consider new perspectives. For this post, I drew five cards at random. Here are my answers. Feel free to respond in the comments below: how would you answer these questions?

(1) If you could take any landmark or geographical feature from another part of the world and move it to the area where you live, what would you choose?

How about a desert oasis with a tropical island in the middle of it? And let’s put a monument on that island. This might seem like tasteless, nouveau-riche stuff, but I’d love my own Mayan temple. It should be made of real stones, not that plastic junk they use at amusement parks. Without meaning any disrespect towards the culture or religion that created these structures, climbing up and down a Mesoamerican step pyramid offers a great workout and an even better view.

El Castillo (Temple of Kukulcan) at Chichen Itza. From Mexicoarchaeology.com.

El Castillo at Chichen Itza in Mexico is probably the most famous of these pyramids because of its proximity to the vacation destination of Cancun. More properly known as the Temple of Kukulcan, it has 91 steps on each of its four sides. When you add those together and include the top step surrounding the temple in its center, that’s 365 steps. The altitude gain is about 80 feet from the ground to the top of those steps. That’s better exercise than many gyms can offer.

(2) If you were a teacher, what is one book you would insist that your whole class read?

I’m tempted to recommend The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono. I wrote a post about it once. This is the story of a man who has lost in life, but then dedicated himself to doing one simple thing that changes his whole region: planting trees. For many years, he goes out each day to plant trees and it alters the landscape. The book is tiny, but it has great wisdom. Short, sweet, and simple.

But no, I would not blow this chance on such a short, simple book. It’s too important of an opportunity. If I could choose one book for a whole class to read, it would need to be an important piece of literature which speaks to everyone. You could not go wrong with anything by Shakespeare, Steinbeck, Homer, the Brontes, Joyce, Twain, Tolstoy, Garcia Marquez, Dickens, and other great authors…but in choosing just one book, I’d prefer to temper the risk that there may be someone who does not connect with that particular work.

Walt Whitman. Or is that Gandalf?

So I’d choose something that had multiple facets. Not knowing the level or interest of this class of students, this strategy also would appeal to impatient readers. I’m thinking of a collection of poems or stories, perhaps, which incorporates some diverse subjects. For poetry, I’d choose something accessible yet profound, perhaps Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass collection or an anthology of William Butler Yeats’ poems. The Norton Anthology would be great, but too broad; you might as well choose Webster’s Dictionary instead. Beyond poetry, I’d try the 1001 Nights collection of stories or Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

Iranian artist's depiction of 1001 Nights. Scheherazade cigarettes. Public domain.

In the end, I think I’d go with 1001 Nights. Fun to read, bringing together the wisdom of several cultures, and it has everything. Really.

(3) If you could cover any food in chocolate just to see what it would taste like, what food would you choose?

I’ve tried chocolate covered ants before. They’re not that bad. The red ones have a spicy tang. I can think of some other things that I don’t want to eat. But coating almost anything in chocolate makes it more palatable. Chocolate-covered kale, anyone?

I want a dill pickle. “Big kosher pickle and a cold draught beer. Well, good god almighty, which way do I steer?” Sing it with me! “Dill pickle in cho-co-late” (to the tune of Cheeseburger in Paradise by Jimmy Buffett…with apologies). For a sweet ‘bread-n-butter’ pickle, I might pair it with milk chocolate, but a sharp dill pickle spear definitely wants a coating of dark chocolate, maybe even bittersweet. And hold the beer; I’ll take a glass of nonfat milk with my chocopickle. I might need to drink the whole glass.

(4) What is the most fun you’ve ever had doing something outside in the rain?

Do you really need to know? Ouch (wife kicked me). Okay, the answer is swimming. I love swimming in the rain. Swimming underwater, you realize that the fish don’t care whether or not it’s raining above. But breaking the surface of the water and feeling raindrops on your face is awesome. Yes, getting wet when you’re already wet is a lot of fun.

There’s a perfect song for swimming in the rain. It’s this one, but you have to change “singing” to “swimming”. The distinction blurs when you’re soaked to the bone and still loving it.

“Singing in the Rain” by Gene Kelly.

I’ve also gone surfing in the rain. When the wind is blowing offshore and you’re paddling out past the breaking waves, the spray on your face feels like a sheet of salty rain. On a rainy day, when the water and sky are both hazy and gray, it can be hard to know where one starts and the other begins. The elements merge and perhaps that’s the funnest part.

(5) In your opinion, what would be the most enjoyable thing about being a dog or cat?

Can I vote for “and” instead of “or”? I’d like to answer this question for both dogs and cats, since the two are different. The most enjoyable thing about being a dog would be sleeping anytime, anyplace. Just lie down on the ground and go for it. My dog is fortunate enough to have a home and a family who loves him. Other than wondering when his next meal is coming, barking at skateboarders, and being slightly afraid of the pooch next door who is big enough to kick his ass, he doesn’t have much to worry about. A dog like him has it pretty good. That’s the life.

And what about cats? There’s plenty of variation in individual cat personalities. But the average cat is wilder than the average dog. When you look in their feline eyes, there’s something primal just beneath the surface. Certain cats like to stay at home, but most need to roam their territory.

Tomcat on the prowl. Creative Commons via Flickr.com by Tomitapio.

If I were a cat, the most enjoyable thing would be going on a prowl in the dark of night. Just me and the owls and rats; we’d fight it out. Let me roam the neighborhood by the light of the moon. I’d run along fences, climb trees, jump onto rooftops, and generally keep an eye on the neighborhood like the boss I am. In the day, no one would know I’d been there. Sounds like fun.

Yeats was right about there being magic in the world

There is magic, waiting to be discovered. I know it’s there because I feel a spark of inspiration in exploring some of these topics. As with reading a new book or watching a new movie, forcing yourself to write about something new helps you sharpen your senses, unlocking the magic of new ideas. If you’re ever unsure what to write about for your next post, consider answering some random questions.

If you’re lucky, you’ll find a spark, and when you do, dig deeper. There lies the magic of discovery.

Chat Packs. I bought mine on Amazon.com for a few dollars.

Top image (Yeats quote) from Quotefancy.com.