Writing Plans and a Week of Stillness A well deserved break from Tom and his antics... The first day at home, and already I’m letting my mind wander about what writing projects I should take on. Then again, I could be traveling if only I weren’t waiting to pick up my passport. Not to mention, I’m eating a plane ticket or two, so even exploring Morocco is likely out of the question. Note to self, next time you need a visa for a future trip, apply when you aren’t in the middle of your traveling season. That aside, with events beyond my control, I’m looking at a week hanging out on my couch and lounge chair. Rightfully so, with Forever Poland now complete, I’ll be digging into a new fiction piece. Dare I say, a cozy mystery? Don’t worry, more details to follow in the weeks ahead on that fun number. I will share that I have the treatment done, outline, character, and location descriptions. It’s simply a matter of sitting down and letting the characters share their stories. In the meantime, before that occurs, let me share some random musings that crossed my mind for better or worse over the last few days. Let’s try not to hold all my opinions against me, but rather as food for thought or commentary. Observations from the Streets to the World Stage 1. Unsurprisingly, I almost got hit by several road bikes and a car yesterday that decided me being in the crosswalk, directly in their path, wasn’t a good enough reason to stop. Yes, I actually slapped the back side of one car and decided I’m actually an American who has two fingers for communication purposes. No one stopped or cared. One of these days, I’m going to find another dead person lying in the middle of the road, and it will likely be from that fellow or another driver, clearly. 2. Quick question - How does waving at me while I’m in the crosswalk, as you swerve by, dangerously, may I add, make everything better? I’m asking for a friend. What does this wave actually mean? Is it a peace sign or a forgive me for being a schmuck? I really don’t know. 3. I’m thankful Ramadan is over, which means I can actually go to the bank during regular hours. I still don’t understand how it works exactly, where the banks’ normal hours went from 8 in the morning to 7 at night, to basically, some time after 9 and whenever they decide to close the doors, around 3:30. Granted it could have been worse, the bank next door to mine, had Ramadan hours from 12:15 to 2:15. That’s helpful for people that actually work during the day. Did I mention, I’m relieved? 4. On a similar note, while the bank was living their perfect working dream hours, every morning well before sunrise and even before I woke, that little drummer boy, or man, can go retire until next year. We don’t need your services until next season, when you can roam the streets at 3:30 in the morning, banging your drum as the alarm clock no one really wanted or asked for. That’s my favorite touch, you going from door to door like the young kids back home who mowed the lawn without your permission, and now want to get paid for a hack job and to go away for services rendered. What a trip… 5. AFCON - Yeah, I just need to write this down for posterity. Which team celebrated after the match was played again? I don’t care either way. I’m likely the only person in the entire country who didn’t watch a game, but yeah, that was fun the other night listening to the revelers, celebrating after the appeal decision by honking car horns and belting out sounds with those stupid plastic children's wannabe trumpets. Wow, an amazing display of sportsmanship, months later, in the middle of the night, in Islam’s most revered season. But I get it, you think you won something tangible. Who cares if the World Cup is only a few months away? 6. Speaking of the World Cup, why is the Commander in Chief in Washington DC, saying that the Iranian team wouldn’t be safe? I’m going to call this out for what it is: stop being such an @#$ and treat some people with empathy and compassion. Then again, maybe not starting a war just for its own sake and allowing other means to achieve lasting peace would have been better for the bottom line. I hope the Iranian team can play all their games in Mexico and as far away from the White House’s eyes as possible. For that matter, go team Iran. Wouldn’t that be the story to have them get to a semifinal match and the USA team out in the first round? Now that’s something to support.  An reenactment of Tom the cat pooping in the field 7. While I’m musing about my home country, aside from the one resignation, when are politicians on both sides of the aisle going to wake up, actually grow a pair, and stand up to a bully who has no place in modern politics? Honestly, let’s bring up Pearl Harbor to get a bloody reaction, or call out other world leaders and continue this negative, old energy crap that no longer serves a purpose. As an American, what does it say about us as a country to let some hack treat others in such a negative manner? Let’s not focus on being the loving example around the world, a tangible light for those in darkness. Instead, we can be the country that stirs up stuff in a way that didn’t have to happen. But sure, there’s a bottom line in there, and who cares about children, families, and everyday people around the world who are caught in the crossfire? I get it, the media must be driving this circus, but then again, what do I know when the only clips I see are of an insecure old man, questioning, belittling, and degrading everyone around him. It must be me . . . 8. This sort of leads back to the series of blog posts about people who are kind and empathetic towards others. Then again, it seems that, especially since the pandemic, we are living in a world with two types of people. You have those who are considerate and actually think about others and how their actions might impact them, and then there are the idiots who keep dodging pedestrians on the streets, blocking other cars in the parking lot, making stupid comments on Facebook pages, or simply selfish individuals who seem to think they are the only inhabitants in this world. I’m sure there are other good examples, but you get the idea. Where’s the pause and thinking about how one’s actions impact another? I’m not stating you need to go out on the streets and start handing out food or money to every beggar or person you walk by, but you can probably pause for a moment and think, hey maybe I should give up this seat at the bus stop for the old woman with all the grocery bags, as opposed to throwing a suitcase on the unoccupied spot and then feigning a really important phone call, ignoring anyone in need. 9. Birds. Yep, they have come back to Tangier. I’m not sure where they were hiding for three months. With no more weeks of rain on end, the seagulls have returned in force. I might even be housing a pigeon family or two in the eaves of my exterior blinds. No, I have no idea how that happened, but it’s two years in a row now. Did I mention how the cat at school speaks Seagulese? He does, every single morning at eight, if he hasn’t been fed by one of the staff, he cries out like a gull. It’s humorous. 10. Speaking of humorous, Tom, the school cat, an elderly chap, was caught in the act of defecating in the middle of our soccer field while learning Seagulese. True story, the seagulls were out doing their thing, raiding the trash bins, while Tom ran out to the middle of the field, popped a squat, and looked around to make sure no one was watching. After leaving a few land mines for the kids to run around on, he sprinted off the field towards the school, leaving his little presents behind. This isn’t the first time he’s left gifts, but the only time he’s been caught in the act. I don’t think anyone believes my story, but I know what I saw. 11. Did I ever share that, for me, writing fiction is easier than non-fiction? True story: I used to think the opposite, but at least between Forever Poland and Brindisi and Me, the process is more time-consuming because, with the stories set in real life, there is some need for fact-checking and getting everything straight. In a fiction piece, I can simply feign ignorance or say it’s only a story, so the details don’t matter. Hmmm, that seems a lot like the line of thought the head cheeto follows. Apologies, I digress . . . 12. Finally, after months of eating frozen spinach, because for some reason I thought it tasted good, I have figured out that boiling spinach and then adding it to cooked green peas and some parmesan cheese is an absolute treat. If we actually had fresh spinach available, I wouldn’t have found out this fact, but since I’ve been buying the frozen variety off and on since September (usually in bulk), it’s something I’ve learned through experimentation. Here’s a sort of fun fact: at least at my local Marjane grocery store, the greens have been limited, period. We had lettuce for a short time, here and there, and while there are always mint leaves, it’s been rare to see any fresh spinach, and for that matter, the rocket stuff was only around for a month or two as well. That reminds me of my preferred butter, the President brand. We actually went several weeks without any salted butter, well, specifically non-local butter that isn’t vegetable oil disguised in butter shape. Oh goodness, I’m sick thinking about it… Till next update, be good to yourself and others. JFK
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Meet Mr. Jon- a traveler at heart who loves a good story and walk. Jonathan has over twenty years experience in independent publishing. While he prides himself on crafting a good story, nothing truly beats an adventure and a camera. 
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