What’s on the mind isn’t always what’s fit to printA great column topic just hasn’t crossed my mind this week. Sorry. You can read on if you want, or just move on to the letters to the editor. This happens to most columnists about once a year — a clear message to write about just doesn’t come to mind.As I sit at my desk, at 9 p.m. Tuesday, I am thinking about a lot of things: whether I’ll paint my house this summer; whether my friend is liking her new job; why I can’t find that mini flashlight I keep in the pantry; whether my sister, the teacher, is able to stand it in her room that doesn’t have air conditioning; that maybe I’ll visit Mom and learn how to make pickled beets next week. I’m thinking that my husband and I should have a glass of red wine more often with supper, since that new heart study said it’s good. I’m actually remembering that I’ve heard that one before a couple times.My mind is also busy making sense of the city and county meetings I attended tonight. So, you see, it’s not that my head is empty altogether (though some might laugh at that statement), it’s just that there’s no one, clear topic that is begging to be written about.Instead of figuring out an actual column topic, I’m just sitting here (now at 10 p.m.) hoping the anti-zit ointment I put on my chin is working. I could write one of those commonly seen columns that lists things that make the writer mad — sort of a Top 10 list of irritants. But, unfortunately, I can only think of a couple: (1.) Those flashing graphics and words on the bottom of the screen during TV shows. They now preview upcoming shows and acknowledge program sponsors during the regular broadcast. Isn’t that supposed to be a part of the "commercial break?" I find them very distracting and annoying. (2.) It bugs me that so many music artists using names like "Nude," "Stripped" or "Bare" for their CD titles these days. It’s totally losing it’s impact and appearance of originality. Everyone from Gloria Estefan to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera has gone the "naked" route and I’ve seen enough. Too bad I couldn’t come up with more, because everybody loves a complaining columnist.In hopes of finding ideas to write about, I even went through a couple inspirational e-mail forwards and ended up crying on my keyboard. I don’t want to appear too sappy, so I won’t share those. I actually thought I was close to a column decision earlier tonight. I listened to my editor enjoy a Dairy Queen Blizzard. I was thinking I could write about the greatness of ice cream and mention that the ice cream cone happens to be turning 100 years old. … Some say it was invented when the application for the patent was submitted on September 22, 1903 — but others contend the cone was first introduced at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. I decided that idea wasn’t worth a whole column, either. … And I’d rather have a sundae than a cone, anyway.It looks like I’ve emptied the thoughts swimming in my head, so I’m sure I’ll have a great topic next time. See you in two weeks.
