FUN FRIDAYS! – Challenge
I have no shortage of Fun Fridays! Post ideas. However, last Friday I struggled to come up with an idea for a Post. If I need an idea, all I have to do is look back in my phone and they are there. The picture tells the story. It is enough for me to recall my thinking when I took the picture, and then I just need to write. My struggle for coming up with an idea for Post last Friday had nothing to do with lack of available content. It had to do with my space. I had a disturbing challenge that previous Monday and I carried it through the week. It is still present and has no foreseeable closure other than hope for it to get better.
This week I did have some challenges with the situation, but instead, I chose to have a bunch of FUN this week and minimize the problem.
This week, instead of sitting in the dread of my challenge that has no foreseeable solution except hope, I kept my attitude at bay and had FUN.
I have been attending Free Comic Book Day with my youngest son for many years now. Although we somehow missed last year, we went back at it this year. It involves things I prefer not to do at my age, but been doing it like it was the old days. Thing: Go sit in line and wait for the doors to open up. It reminds of the good old days when that is how you got good concert tickets. So, we take our camping chairs and go sit in line and wait for them to open up the doors to the comic book shop to get our free comic books. I do it for my son. He loves it. He loves the comic books and he loves the event in general. I must say, it is pretty Kewl. The time in line is all part of the experience. Stuff happens while you are in line and we reflect on it from year to year. For me, it is quality time with my son. We are making memories.
Historically, the comic book thing is not so much for me. While the stuff is neat to look at, my part has been, just being Dad taking his son to something he wanted to do. What has happened though, is since I am there, year in and year out, my interest level has deepened. When we get home, I typically give all my free comic books to my son for his collection. This year, however, I decided to look through the comic books to see what I might be interested in reading. I took a few with me on FUN business trip this week. It has been so long; I cannot recall when the last time I actually read a comic book from cover to cover. Here is what I found out:
Comic books are a challenge! They are challenging to read! I was taken back as I sat there and read the story. Here is the picture with a few words. Then you move to the next picture with a few words. The challenge? At this point in the world, we are over stimulated. Everywhere we look stimulation is coming at us. Emails, texts, phone calls, timers, reminders, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. Stimulation is everywhere. And the internet? If you want something, you can go get it. Instantaneously. The details of what you want are available down to the nth degree. Todays, movies are a good example. As you sit in a lazy position in a comfortable chair with your legs propped up, stuffing your face with popcorn and candy, every single detail is on a huge screen for you to devour while they blast your ears with more sensory.
Comic Books? You have to use your imagination. The first picture is 10 or better frames or whatever you can imagine happens in between the next picture frame and a few words. I found this to be a challenge based on the way the world stimulates us today. I was taken back by this simple experience. And? IT WAS FUN! I connect this experience with hope. Hope can be a challenge. A challenge for something different. A challenge for something better. Sometimes we have to use our imagination.
Every May is when Free Comic Book Day occurs at your local comic bookstore. Next year:
I encourage you to take the challenge and HAVE FUN!