Relaxing Obsessions

Snow Globes, Pick-Up-Sticks, and Crayons -1st entry in 3 parts

Snow globes are meant to be ever-so peaceful. The flakes and flecks float, dance, mingle, fall, ever-falling. Such a gentle nudge can start the dance all over again, falling, falling, down, down. It's deceiving though. What looks at a glance as so peaceful, relaxing, can lead to obsession!  The first snow globe I had was of Santa with his sleigh (I still have it, the fluid long ago leaked out). It has a white covered little brush-looking thing meant to be a snow-covered tree near Santa's sleigh. I turned that globe upside down or shook it, watching the flakes fall.  They would fall on the tree and sleigh in a heap. Upside down, sh-ake again. They would cover Santa's head and shoulders. Shh-ake again, they would fall helter-skelter everywhere.  I'd spend hours trying to get the flecks to fall where I wanted them to go. I finally realized I had no control where those fake-flakes landed, or how few, how many landed where. But the obsession to try had already consumed hours.          Snow globes are like those bead-face cards you got from pin-ball machines. Enclosed in plastic, with a pre-drawn figure on a card-board backing, there'd be 4-8 beads you'd have to try to make fill in little holes for eyes, nose, mouth...maybe a ball on the end of their hat (or tail if it was an animal figure). Slowly, ever so slowly, you'd tilt that card, this way and that, trying to get each ball into its spot. Slowly, oh yes, ever so slowly, the obsession begins. Just like snow globes. And maybe with skill, but more luck, you get those dumb balls to all stay in their little holes all at the same time!     [continued next entry]