I was trying to think of something lighthearted to write today, when I received an email from a sick friend whose co-workers just brought in Chinese food. As I started to reply, I thought, “Why not blog it?” 😉

So here’s my reply!

Chinese food! Wow! I am soooooooo jealous! I ate a piece of leftover chicken that might’ve actually been pterosaurian. So I sit here, feeling old and unwanted — essentially Jurassic.

Okay, why all the dinosaur talk, she’s wondering?

Answer: http://www.ericgarcia.com

I tell ya, I LOVE good writers, especially knowing that they all maintain blogs of some sort! This guy sounds like he might be good. At least my friend Martin says so. And I’m coming to learn that what Martin likes, I’ll probably like; what Martin goes after, I’m likely to go after. Makes me kinda resistant to the idea of ever flying over to Scotland to meet him and his wife… (JUST KIDDING, MARTIN!)

Truth be told, while part of me always wanted to be a lawyer, what I’d like to do even more is make a good (make that “very good”) living as a writer. If I really believed that I could write a novel or twelve that could land me a more-than-livable bank account, I’d either drop law school or just go at night. (Uh…waitaminute…I DO just go at night!)

Well, I’m a perpetual student, so it doesn’t really matter what else happens. Frankly, if I were independently wealthy, I suspect I’d spend a good chunk of every day in school somewhere. Part of the time, I’d learn; part of the time, I’d teach. And when I think about it, that means “all of the time, I’d learn.” One reason I like teaching is because it not only helps me solidify and clarify what I’ve already learned, but (especially assuming a good collection of “students”) I learn even more.

If I were independently wealthy, I’d probably go ahead, then, and study law anyway, even if I never intended to practice. Then I’d be bummed out that I couldn’t understand all the “parens patriae,” “in locum parentis,” “non compos mentis” and other phrases and go back to school for two years of Latin. Somehow, that would remind me that Spanish is like Latin, so I’d take a year or so of Spanish…in Spain. THAT would make me think of what wonderful people Spaniards are (and some of those women are gorgeously brown!) which would remind me of anthropology. I’d probably be inspired to move to Mallorca and engage in a little cultural anthropology. From there, I’d realize that Mallorca, Spain, as interesting as it is, has a counterpart in Acapulco — or at least a hotel by the same name with a different spelling! So off I’d run for a little fun in the sun, where I’d study snorkeling, aquatics and waste a little time as an amateur ichthyologist. I might even try to talk to a herring!

No doubt I’d eventually start to feel like I’m too unfocused. So, remembering that the Yanomamö are just a hop, skip and a jump away, I’d return to cultural anthropological studies. (And, besides, some of those Yanomamö are so gorgeously brown!) Off I’d head for the rainforests of Brazil and Venezuela.

Before you know it, chasing those beautiful Venezuelan birds and pondering how they got there would have me thinking of pterosaurs again. I’d stare sadly down at my leftover chicken…

And you’re having Chinese food.