November 13: Embalmed Head, 365 Journal Topics, Bacon

Next morning, Monday, after disposing of the embalmed head to a barber, for a block, I settled my own and comrade's bill; using, however, my comrade's money. The grinning landlord, as well as the boarders, seemed amazingly tickled at the sudden friendship which had sprung up between me and Queequeg- especially as Peter Coffin's cock and bull stories about him had previously so much alarmed me concerning the very person whom I now companied with.

This passage makes me smile.  It occurs fairly early in the novel, just at the beginning of Queequeg and Ishmael's budding friendship.  The two men are complete opposites.  Ishmael, Christian.  Queequeg, pagan.  Ishmael, whiter than a Donald Trump campaign rally.  Queequeg, darker than protesters outside a Donald Trump campaign rally.  Yet, they find solace in each other's company.

Before I start:

DISCLAIMER:  I had no idea what to write about today, so I did what many people do when they're unsure about something:  I turned to Google.  I typed in the phrase "journal topic generator," and Google brought me to a site titled "365 Journal Topics."  I started scrolling through the list until I stopped on "Write about things that make you smile."  I liked that prompt, but it was a little too open-ended.  So, for the sake of this blog post, I modified it a little.

Thanks to Google, I now present a list of ten things that make me smile:

1.  Going into my son's room in the early morning, watching him sleep and dream, breathe his deep boy breaths.

2.  Kissing my wife before I leave for work, tasting the warmth of her cheek.

3.  Seeing my daughter dance, the swan grace of her legs and feet.

4.  A good fountain pen and an empty journal page.  The possibility of it all.

5.  Listening to Christmas songs in July.

6.  Warm socks when my feet are cold.

7.  A poem that takes the top of my head off when I read it.

8.  Snow falling from a a blue sky (I've seen it happen).

9.  A nap in the middle of a really busy day.

10.  Bacon.

Simple things, I know.  But it's the simple things that make a day good.  I'm still facing some uncertainty at work.  Today, I found myself on websites, looking for a new job.  I didn't find anything promising and only succeeded in making myself sad and angry.

Saint Marty needed some bacon today.