Clacking high heels announce her approach. 6 word Saturday

Lunch Trays

In school lunch rooms there are handy devices.

Molded plastic trays are used to carry food for the students.

Typically there is one large indentation and several small ones.

These keep the foods separated.

These durable units are easy to clean and stack.

The only alternatives I have seen are the many small plates and bowls at a cafeteria for adults.

Those work well with the senior citizens that typically eat there.

But I am not sure that system would be wise with children.

There are many millions of school children that use a lunch tray every school day.

Those are silent servants on a gigantic scale.

I see you there silent servant.

Big Black Bags

While walking downtown some workers had put big black bags on the sidewalk.

They were continuing to trim the bushes and cut the grass.

So it was evident that the byproduct of their labors is what was in those bags.

Here before me were more silent servants.

Those big packages will soon carry unwanted items far away.

I have used hundreds of those devices over the decades.

I have peeled them one by one from a roll or pulled them from boxes.

Initially they are flat and small.

Then they fill out and transport unwanted things away.

Also I have used them to contain clothes and useful items.

During this season of my life I have been using big bags that are clear.

I have used a box of them that were scented.

So I pondered, “What was this really?”

The bags did not grow on trees or fall out of the sky.

They started as just liquid plastic that was made into this helpful shape.

Clever people made them and got them to me at an affordable price.

Then I wondered, “What would our world be like without such bags?”

My mind does not easily generate a pleasant alternative world view.

I see you there silent servants.

Flight Patterns

Humming bird flight patterns are fascinating.

These tiny creatures 
hover
dart about
drink nectar
suddenly zip off to parts unknown.

Crape Myrtles Laugh

It seems that the crape myrtle trees laugh at the weather man.

In Dallas it has been more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit for a long time.

And there has not been much rain.

Most plants have shrunk back into a shriveled or nearly dormant state.

But the crape myrtle trees just take these conditions to bloom impressively.

It is a blessing to see the pink, red, white and purple clusters of flowers.

I am thankful that residents often use these in landscaping.

These serve to decorate the roads and highways when other flowers are hiding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagerstroemia

images

https://www.google.com/search?q=crape+myrtle&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS495US495&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=K4b8U7dLxbXIBIf3gpAL&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1093&bih=534&dpr=1.25

Traffic Passing By

I sit in the library writing.
I look out the second floor window at the traffic passing by.

The one way street passes from my right to my left.

There is a traffic light to the left of my field of view.

Many cars and a few trucks are part of the stop and go parade.
When there is a convention in town then there are lots of buses too.

Each vehicle has left Point A and is moving to Point B.
Each driver is making many smart choices, otherwise there would be wrecks.
Each moving metal machine contains one or more precious souls.

Ultimately I live inside my own skin.
I have access to my thoughts and feelings.
I can only make indirect and incomplete contact with other people.
I am grateful when others are open and honest with me.
Many times I have been inspired by those that overcame obstacles.
Sometimes I am amazed at the range of experiences that others have.

I have had the privilege of peeking inside a few transparent friends.
I have enjoyed excellent interviews.
I have attended support groups where the masks came off.
I have been in love a few times and known that kind of intimacy.
I have delighted at the personal stories they shared with me.
Yet each passing vehicle contains a collection of stories and a bundle of possibilities.

The continual flow of vehicles reminds me that we are so many that share this city.
This city is large contrasted to others in the area.
But it is much smaller than cities in other countries.

It is so easy to judge others.
It takes no effort to notice the imperfections in the stranger.
Ordinary people do not look like or behave like glossy celebrities.

It requires intention and discipline to notice the good in others.
It involves choosing to accept and respect the other one just as they are.

We are divinely designed to give and receive love.
There are no perfect people on the planet.
Each of those who are available to be loved are imperfect.

I have no idea how to best end this, so I will stop right here.

Pants Pockets

I have been working in the downtown district of Dallas for many weeks.

This has involved entering a building daily that has a metal detector.

I must empty my pants pockets each time.

Before doing this I was not as aware of all the little items I carry.

The security guard and I see these each time.

More than half the time there is a bit of trash in my pocket.

Usually that is because I have a habit of sucking on hard caramels.

When a trash can is not handy then the wrapper goes into my pocket.

The modest bits of cloth attached to my pants are yet another silent servant.

I see you there silent servant.

Sitting in the Shade

I was sitting in the shade of the oak trees.
The city park offered a view of the morning commuters.

The big red mower was leveling the grass as it weaved toward me.

Then the smell of the freshly cut grass punctuated the air around me.

Alarm Systems

I noticed the sticker on the window of the office.

The decal informed me and others that an alarm company was protecting this place.

I had seen the TV commercials of the clever ways their system works.

When there is an intruder the owner and police are notified.

Sound and motion detectors are used.

Here is another slice of our modern life.

I wonder how many times stickers like that have prevented crimes.

How many times have bad guys avoided such places?

How many times have those systems led to the capture of criminals?

How much peace of mind have owners enjoyed?

I can see the sticker from the sidewalk.

I cannot see the ways the devices work in the office.

I cannot see the ways the alarm company is informed.

I cannot see the inner workings of the alarm company.

I cannot see how this has helped police over the years.

I cannot see those who went behind bars due to this system.

That tiny sticker is like a little flag that represents the whole system.

I see you there silent servant system.

Concrete Truck

I was standing at the busy downtown intersection.

I was walking to my workstation in the morning alone.

Then a concrete truck made a turn and passed in front of me.

The huge mixer was turning and the name of the company spun around.

I considered, “What was that?”

It was a vehicle with a load of wet concrete.

It was in route to off load the contents soon.

Surely some workers had prepared the final destination.

They were waiting for the soft grey stuff to arrive.

They will spread it and then one day later it will be solid.

That is just a little amazing.

Clever people have perfected a system to put concrete anywhere.

This process is happening everyday all around this large city.

The sidewalk where I stood was poured years ago.

And it will remain to serve others for many more years.

Then I go to thinking of what else makes our modern lives possible.

Some of those resources include: asphalt, steel, glass, bricks, wires, pipes, lumber, granite, plastic, paint and more.

I am especially appreciative of the porcelain used to make toilets strong, easy to clean and attractive.

Just like the goldfish does not notice the water, we do not notice such things.

So I considered how to better notice these modern benefits.

On our shared planet there are still nomadic tribes in Africa and Tibet.

There are still aboriginal tribes in the Amazon rain forest.

Some of them have some of our modern conveniences.

But their daily life is not nearly as enmeshed as ours are with artificial aids.

It is easy to notice that the glass is half empty.

It takes some awareness to notice that it is also half full.

The fact is that the glass is both half empty and half full.

This fullness and emptiness are happening at the same time.

The advertising industry works constantly to get us to focus on the emptiness.

There are thousands of messages saying your glass is tragically half empty.

But look here happiness is around the corner.

You just need to work harder to get more money to buy the newest gizmo.

Then you just might have a full glass.

It is not in anyone’s self-interest to help you notice what you have got.

The fact that the glass is half full does not stimulate more sales.

Concrete sidewalks are far more useful than muddy paths.

Flush toilets are better than old fashion out houses.

Glass windows allow the light and sights of the outside inside.

But all those are paid for so there is no profit in beating the drum for them.

However to better practice daily gratitude it takes a little alertness.

There are plenty of things to be thankful for that we walk past daily.

The concrete truck was my wakeup call today to notice that sliver of my life.

May you too wake up to see the good in life and be more grateful.

Pigeons on Patrol

The downtown sidewalk was populated with the pigeon patrol.

The morning air was getting warmer.

I was walking alone to my workstation a few blocks away.

Normally pigeons are perched up high to spot bits of food.

These few brave ones were pecking, walking and pecking.

My approach did not frighten them away.

I did not see any bits of food from my height.

Maybe they saw what I could not or were hoping as they pecked.

Drainage Ditches

Recently there were heavy rains in Dallas, Texas.
The water poured from the sky for hours.
This happened for a few days.
And the clever engineers had crafted ways to make it go away.
There was no flooding and the roadways continued to carry vehicles.

Previously I wrote about the sanitary sewers.
They take the waste of the bathroom away.
Then there are storm sewers that take this rain water away.
Both of those are silent servant systems.

This led me to recall the house where I grew up.
There was a drainage ditch along the front of the property.
During most rain storms the open drainage ditch worked well.
When it rained for days there was some minor flooding.
It was fascinating as a kid to watch the streams of water exit the area.

So I am thinking that drainage ditches are some of the original silent servants.
These orderly depressions in the terrain have been serving humans for thousands of years.

I see you there silent servants.

Desk Chair

Here I sit again at my computer.
I look forward to another day online.

I noticed another silent servant that makes this possible.
Under my bottom is a desk chair.
Over the decades there have been many different ones.
This one is plain and hard.
I prefer the ones with soft seats.

But without a desk chair, what would I do?
Would I sit on the floor?
Would I stand?
Would I sit in bed?

I see you there silent servant.

Quite Companion

As I walked in the morning light my shadow kept pace with me.

As a quite companion matching my steps, we trod along together.

Light Bulbs

I noticed the florescent light fixture in the ceiling at the corner of the room.

This was far from the window, yet there was plenty of light to walk around the furniture.

I looked carefully to notice what I was seeing.

There was a tube like device that was radiating plenty of light.

I could not see it from there but I knew there was a switch on a wall.

The switch was used to activate the bulb.

To the outside observer that is all that was visible.

But there were many hidden parts and processes at work.

There were many clever scientists and engineers involved to make this happen.

I could never comprehend all the related details.

Then I imagined teenagers that were put in a time travel machine.

Sent back to the Middle Ages and then told to describe light bulbs.

He could be interviewed by the best minds of the land.

At best that person could draw crude sketches.

They could describe what it was like to turn lights on and off.

What happens in the switch, light fixture, light bulb and power plant are a wonder.

The fact that we can afford to have so much light at night is a little amazing.

The richest kings and queens of the Middle Ages did not have one single light bulb.

How many other marvels of our modern lifestyle can be uncovered?

Imaginary time travel is one way to gain a new perspective.

Also considering those in severe poverty is another way to notice our daily blessings.

Light bulbs and the systems to make them work are silent servants.

I see you there silent servants.

Inspection Sticker

As I walked past the parking lot I noticed the inspection sticker on the car windshield.

Then I reflected on “What does that represent?”

That little decal tells me, the police officer and others what happened.

Less than a year ago that vehicle passed a series of tests.

It was then considered safe enough to use the roads for another 12 months.

I can look at that and know that recently the brakes worked.

The blinkers, brake lights and back up lights worked.

The horn was tested.

The car does not pollute more than an acceptable standard.

Then I reflected on “What if we did not have that system?”

I would expect that very few people would carefully take care of their car.

If there came a need to replace parts that would likely be put off a very long time.

For weeks I have been working in the business district of downtown Dallas.

I cross the busy streets dozens of times a week.

I can know that the brakes on nearly all those cars were inspected in the last year.

Last year I had a job that put me on the freeways many hours a week.

Those cars and trucks I traveled beside had been examined, so my journey was safer.

The inspect sticker is not the silent servant in this case.

But the system that the inspection sticker represents is the silent servant.

I see you there silent servant system.

Calm was Shattered

The morning calm was shattered.

The choppy racket of the helicopter pierced the peaceful start of the day.

Another patient was being delivered to the roof of the hospital.

There is hope that healing will be found there.

People, machines and computers are lined up to save this life.

Every week amazing stories of healing come from that hospital.

Just a few decades ago the seriously sick and injured died slowly and painfully.

Let us pause to reflect upon and be grateful for the advances in medicine. 

Sewer Lines

Under the houses, office building and streets pass the network of sewer lines.
These sealed pipes carry the stinky stuff that got flushed from the toilets plus other used water.

It goes to the place the clever engineers designed to process that toxic gunk.
Then when the processes had done their important job, the smells and poisons were removed.

Those buried sewer lines are our silent servants.

I (imagine that I can) see you there silent servants.

Rail Road Crossing

The cross arms came down.
Then the commuter train sped past.
The motorist waited a short while.

Many humans crossed paths safely.
The plans of the clever engineers worked well again.

The patterns of the busy city continued like clock work.
Citizens interacted in the city like they have done for decades.

The essential machines and computers were fueled by electricity.

We glide through life unaware of what is happening around us.

Each intersection is a building block of our modern life style.
That rail road crossing is just one of critical parts of the whole.

Nature offers an abundance of beautiful examples of interactions.
Yet consider that the interactions in our cities are a little amazing.

early mornings not my favorite times 6 word Saturday

Real Plants

Often I do my studying and writing in libraries. And I have been doing that for decades.

Recently I have been using the library of the community college. Here I noticed real plants in pots all around the library. That is mentally as well as emotionally refreshing for me. It is especially striking for me as this library is located downtown where there is an abundance of concrete, asphalt, glass, steel and bricks. Thankfully there are some urban parks to insert nature into this artificial environment.

Most public libraries and college libraries use plastic plants. The good news is that they look realistic and they add a visual accent to an otherwise boring landscape. But they are not real.

I work in a library for 12 years. I got permission from my supervisor to have real plants that I promised to take care of and they did well. It took a little effort periodically but for me it was worthwhile. So I can appreciate those on staff here that go the extra mile to make this a more attractive setting.

So Lame

I want to write today and publish another small stone.

But I have not felt inspired and the day is running out.

So I guess this is my contribution.

I hesitate to offer this because it is so lame.

But I want to keep up the habit of writing and publishing daily.

That discipline has helped me enormously. 

Toilet Paper

I was sitting on the toilet and seeking a short writing for today.

Then after I had done my business there was my inspiration.

Beside the commode was a roll of toilet paper.

I used some to wipe my bottom.

I noticed this silent servant that has been there for me over the decades.

I see you there silent servant.

Pigeon Never Caught

Pigeons flock to city parks to eat scraps left or given to them.

They swoop in and walk around close to the people sitting and walking.

Very rarely do birds get close to humans.

So it is no wonder that small children try to catch the pigeons.

These clever birds can walk fast and take off suddenly.

That kind of chase delights small children.

Parents can get fatigued by chasing the child that is chasing the birds.

I have seen this pattern over and over again.

Then in occurred to me, I have never seen one pigeon caught by a child.

What if a child caught a pigeon, then what?

I do not know.

It is an odd thought to have.

Asphalt Patches

The three workmen stood behind the dump truck at the busy intersection downtown.

There had been some road repairs there recently and this was the time to cover over that scar on the road.

The dump truck deposited the black gravel-like materials that they shoveled to fill the shallow construction hole.

Those asphalt bits looked shiny when they hit the ground. But after the traffic had rolled over it many times the asphalt patch looked dull like the other patches instead of shiny.

There always seems to be some kinds of construction and repairs happening downtown. If it were not for the asphalt patches the streets would be a bumpy mess. Therefore I declare asphalt patches as another silent servant to our modern life.

I see you there silent servant.

Cereal Bowl

I was eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast.

And I was seeking subject to write about like another silent servant.

Then I noticed it right there in front of me.

How could I eat the cold cereal without the bowl?

Would I pour a small pile of corn flakes on the table?

Then would I scoop up a spoonful of cereal followed by a sip of milk and just a little sugar?

The bowl is the silent servant that had gone unnoticed.

Then I reflected about other bowls of all kinds.

Kitchens store bowls of all sizes for all kinds of uses.

The dining table hosts all sorts of bowls each year.

Bowls are the most basic of silent servants.

When archeologists dig up ruins from ancient sites they find broken pottery bowls.

So not only is my cereal bowl a silent servant so are all other bowls.

I see you there silent servant.