When looking for writing prompts for my blogs, I often check out if there are any interesting national days in the upcoming month. November has a national day that is perfect for me, National Absurdity Day. What could be more absurd than being a writer whose main character is a talking curly-tail lizard? That she named Curtis!! Not only does this lizard talk, he understands what humans are saying, and his talking to other animals is a given. Absurd indeed. And yes, this blog is going to be a little absurd.
National Absurdity is offered as the opportunity to brighten a fall day on the cusp of the approaching winter. This remembrance of the philosophical movement called absurdism allows people to follow their most outrageous whims, indulging in playful, unleashed behaviors, expressions, or ideas.
I could indulge in writing about ridiculous topics, such as the differences in inserting soft contacts in different levels of humidities. After all, absurdism gave rise to a genre of literature based on absurd plots. Waiting for Godot is a famous absurdism play by Samuel Beckett.
I could write about how I’ve noticed it takes different techniques to get my contacts in when I’m at home in the Sonoran desert’s very low humidity or visiting a Caribbean island with high humidity. At home, I have to pry my eyelid off my cornea and wash away the debris that is stuck in my eye. Often, when I touch the contact to the cornea, the dryness makes it adhere and not float around as it should. Sometimes, I have to throw away the first soft lens because it dries out from the cornea sucking all the water out of it. Usually, I am able to get the second lens in more easily. In higher humidity, the eye is very wet, almost slimy. The lens can’t get into the slippery surface. I have to wipe the eye and let the lens stiffen a bit before trying again. It usually takes 4-5 tries until the lens is actually on the eyeball. In contrast to the dry adherence of the desert eye, the island eye is moist and the contact floats freely and comfortably. Definitely, an absurd discussion.
I could also involve children in absurd activities, like dressing up tortoises in ridiculous costumes as I did this past Halloween. Two of my red-footed tortoises were subjected to being attired in a variety of items. Fortunately, they were willing subjects. At least they didn’t violently object. Having heard the story of the tortoise and the hare, here’s a tortoise as a hare!
A tortoise bedecked with butterfly wings is definitely attractive, but the outfit is much more absurd with an added Halloween mask. I think the tortoise preferred this look.
The most absurd outfits, that got the most intense reaction from viewers, was when they adorned the tortoises with Christmas fare. How dare they? Had they forgotten Thanksgiving? It was too early for Christmas decorations!
One last example is the restroom door at a resort I recently visited. Since it was a “single,” I found the signage absurdly appropriate.
I suspect I have made great progress on absurdism not only on November 20, but every other day of the year. I encourage you to join in absurdism. It’s a lot of fun! I know Curtis Curly-tail would agree.
Yes, that’s Curtis Curly-tail in balloon form! Happy Absurdity Day!
© 2021 All rights reserved Lyric power publishing llc
WHERE WE MAKE SCIENCE FUN!
