On A Tangent

I always hear the phrase, “You’re off on a tangent.” It is probably because I spend most of my time looking at things from about 90º from where they are. When someone says the word two, too, to… you can take it anywhere. I love to play on words, phrases, observations, and any other situation where it can be taken out of context and made into an absurdity. Now that doesn’t mean that I do that with everything. There is a time and a place for levity and as I get older, I think I am levitating less and less. I can barely float off of the floor but that may be due more to my weight than my ability to float.
Now the absurd drawer to the filing cabinet rolled open and the Stephen King novel IT jumped out. It is about an ancient alien that wakes up from hibernation in 20 year cycles and goes on a killing spree. One of the ways he lures little children to their death is to become a grease paint clown with balloons. The phrase that runs through that portion of the book is, “They float don’t they.” Now I don’t associate myself with a killer klown from outer space (that was a really bad B grade sci-fi film from the 90’s)
but words trigger certain events to occur and the stream of consciousness meanderings of my mind lead me down paths that are at best paved with gravel and at worst quicksand.





Now quicksand it a big part of the early horror films. Frankenstein
seemed to always fall into quicksand and get buried. It was a great opportunity for the opening scene of the next “Return of …” movie. Horror films have come a long way from the torch carrying villagers congregating and chasing down the pathetic creatures that were sorely misunderstood. Now we have killer clowns, Freddie Krueger, and computer generated graphics to keep us amazed and amused. No need for plots if you can dazzle the audience with explosions, blood and gore.

Well time to get back from my tangent. Maybe I’ll go on a sine or cosine next.

Icool

Cobb