Betsy and I are hosting a costume party this Halloween, so we’re getting decorations ready. On our latest excursion yesterday, I picked up some poster board from Walmart and drew this guy with permanent marker. (Click photo to enlarge.)
I used this spider photo as a model, though of course I took some artistic liberties. What do you think? Creepy enough? I may do a jack-o’-lantern or a ghost later, if I have time.
Got any plans for Halloween?
You are a secret agent. Though you operate in a world of cynicism, greed, and dreary materialism, you actually work for the other guys. You smuggle in notions of poetry and purpose. You hope for hope and you love love, and someday, when the moment’s right, you’re going to open these people’s eyes. But for now, you walk among them like an ordinary peon, and nobody knows the truth.
It’s okay. I won’t blow your cover. I work for them too.
This morning, I have an assignment for you. I know you have a lot of undercover work going on, and maybe you don’t have time. If so, we understand. This is strictly optional.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it:
Look around you, right now, and pick out something that strikes you as beautiful. Then report back here and tell us what it is. That’s it – that’s all you have to do.
For me, it’s this wonderful piece my mom painted, titled “Sunburst.” I still need to hang it up.
It’s dark in here this morning; the photo doesn’t do it justice. But I love it because of the richness of the background, the contrast of the fiery orange with the deep blue, the brightness and the darkness, and the slightly nonrealistic style of the flowers, whimsical yet proud. And, of course, I love it because she made it.
But you don’t have to pick something like a piece of art that was designed to be beautiful. It can be some ordinary object, or the shape of a shadow, or anything. Don’t worry about what someone else would think of it. They’re the other guys. They don’t understand. We’ve entrusted this mission to you.
You don’t have to take a photo (unless you want to). Just describe what you see. Encourage your fellow agents with your success.
Ready?
Go!
Brian D. Buckley 