This week's blog challenge, set by my partner in crime, I confess has had me somewhat flummoxed. My prompt was to write about a man who teaches his cockroaches how to dance. I mean...??? To be fair, this kind of thing was always going to happen since we're taking our challenge prompts from a creative writing ideas page. But, since my blog is generally about me and my meanderings, and dancing insects with exoskeletons don't generally make an appearance in my daily life, this was a hard one.
To start with, I thought I'd find out a bit more about cockroaches. A quick Google search took me quickly to more information than you'd ever want to know. And just as quickly convinced me that I *really* don't want to know anything more about the little darlings - I mean, I knew (and was quite comfortable knowing) that they are hardy little creatures, most likely to survive a nuclear holocaust, but did I really want to know that the female can remain pregnant forever and can produce 150 offspring per year? Or that they can fly? Or that they can grow to be over 2 inches long? No, I didn't. And, sadly, now that I know them, I can't unknow them, no matter how hard I try. And believe me, I'm trying really really hard just now!
By now, you're probably as grossed out as I am by the subject so I'll change it - but first, another factoid I discovered is that they have 6 legs with 3 knees per leg. So dance classes were probably quite fun - if you like cockroaches that is...
Anyway, having convinced myself that I didn't need to know anything more about cockroaches, my mind next wandered on to that phrase about angels dancing on pins. I realised that I didn't actually know what that meant, what the proper quote was or even where it comes from.
Seems it is a reference to pointless discussions about meaningless things, or at very least things so completely theoretical that it would be impossible to prove them one way or the other, and of little real value if you did. Hmm, sound like another item in the news recently?
And after that, my wardrobe mind led me on to the quote in the title of this post -a prize to the first person to correctly identify its source (without checking Google first - no cheating now!). Details of the prize will be revealed once the winner is announced.
Which all just goes to prove, if you really try, you can write about anything...
And in case you're wondering about the photo, as befits a post about random thoughts, it's a random picture too. Pretty, isn't it?!
2 comments:
That was a fun little read!!
And I'm going to guess the Walrus and the Carpenter (but something in my mind is saying Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, too). My guess is because it seems that Paul recited that to me when we were at the Walrus & Carpenter restaurant in Bath. But he also talked about the Tweedles and a few other Alice and Wonderland related things. So maybe I'm confusing them?
Well done, Frances. Your first guess was right, it was the Walrus.
And your prize? A guest post right here on Crafty Manoeuvres on a topic of my choosing to be determined over the next few days.
Enjoy your birthday adventure xx
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