Mudpuppy

Why mudpuppy? It's one of the many trinkets that has a place on the computer desk here at home. A yardsale find that was probably much cheaper at $1 than the $7 tp $10 someone paid for it at the Tennessee Aquarium. (The label is molded right onto the creatures belly.)

It's interesting what makes an area feel comfortable enough to work in. Many times if I were to sit down at someone else's computer I'd feel totally out of place. Things just aren't as they should be. I may not have to be typing around a cat, say. Or the mouse is on the right hand side. (I'm not left-handed or even what I'd call ambidexterous, but I can't stand having the mouse on the right. It just gets in the way.)

I'd like to say something profound about comfort, about how anyplace can really be comfortable even if the trinkets of familiarity aren't around. A sense of place is beyond the usual haunts. A sense of place can be carried with you, worn about your person so that others can perceive it without knowing exactly why they are comfortable around you. It's what makes the Pope great for Catholics, and the Dalai Lama great for buddhists, and Pat Robertson great for, well, someone. They know their place. Not in terms of "this is what I do and I shall never stray from this role." But in terms of being self secure no matter where they are. They don't need to carry the mudpuppy with them, much like children do with their favorite trinket. They just know that the mudpuppy is always there. It doesn't matter that maybe the mudpuppy ended up in the trash during some frenzied cleaning spree. It's still there. The mere existence of it has helped to establish a sense of place.

(Though I thought I had my place, lately it's been slipping away for a quick trip to the market when I'm not looking. Waiting for it to come back around is almost agonizing.)

Random image: Best sunrise (everything in its place)