Caps for Sale!

I've been mentally trying on different career hats. The pace of the activity brings to mind the kid's book that I loved about the wandering cap salesman who wore like 50 soft caps on his head. In the Italian countryside, while he napped, a scrum of monkeys took his hats! He finally got the better of those monkeys, who I secretly rooted for.

While I'm trying to find a job, I'm still sorting through new possibilities. Rather than recount the laundry list of possibilities, let me tell you about two of my other childhood book favorites: Birds Eat and Eat and Eat and Go Dog Go. There was a book about trains as well but my memory has left the station on that one.

Go Dog Go doesn't show up on many of those "most influential" lists that famous writers compile. For a while, those driving dogs were the coolest, most exciting thing to me. Where were they driving to? A big party in a tree! I wonder if I associated them with my '57 T-Bird driving Uncle?

Birds Eat was probably of interest because my family ate and ate and ate too. How did those birds remain flight-ready? God knows few in my family have. Sorry guys. I suspect that the trains book also held interest since some of my family worked on the railroad, all the live-long day.

What these books have to do with my career search is unclear. Maybe it's just part of my relaxing Sunday. Maybe it's species envy. Birds fly. They don't have to enter the military, they just lift off. While it's pretty clear that dogs can't drive cars, they do seem to enjoy cars more than we do, from what I can tell. I'd have to go with species envy. Those animals have skills and propensities and they are their career.

I often traipse through my undifferentiated early childhood. You know what I mean: there's not a timeline, just a swirl of talismen or events. I'd like to say that there's a big kid vs. adult difference between my decision-making or recognition powers. I'd like to say that I possess tools more sophisticated than an undifferentiated swirl. I'd like to say that. Hey you monkeys, give me back my hats!