Today, I randomly opened my latest Detour on the Eternal Road (Now available on Amazon) to page 205. With my eyes closed, I pointed to the page, and the word closest to my finger was “Thinking.”
Thinking by John W. Howell © 2024
“I was thinking.”
“A new activity for you.”
“Very funny. I’m serious.”
“What were you thinking?”
“About what we are supposed to do with our lives.”
“Good grief. As if there aren’t enough complications in living, you gotta come up with one more.”
“It’s not a complication. It’s just a question, is all.”
“What brought this on?”
“We live our lives each day and go through all the normal things, right?”
“Right.”
“Do we ever ask ourselves if just living is enough?”
“Enough for who?”
“Enough to be fulfilled.”
“Fulfilled? Where did you get that notion?”
“I hate to say it, but it was over breakfast this morning.”
“You have to explain that one.”
” I was out hunting as usual.”
“Yeah. So was I.”
“And I spotted this thing moving quickly from one place to another.”
“We see that all the time.”
“I know, I know, but this time, there was something different about the way the thing was moving.”
“Different, how?”
“Kinda jerky like it didn’t know where it was going.”
“So what did you do?”
“Lika, any good hunter. I swooped in and grabbed him with my talons.”
“Okay, then what?”
“I flew up to a tree and ate him.”
“So where was the big epiphany on being fulfilled?”
“Turns out it was a mouse, and it was something he said when I swooped down.”
“Tell me.”
“He said, ‘Is that all there is?'”
“Why I listen to you is beyond me. Que the Peggy Lee Video.”
Fiction Favorites 
This is hysterical, John and poignant at the same time!❤️
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Thank you, Cindy. 😁
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Too funny, John, yet it’s a slice of life.
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Thank you, Grant. 😁
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This one makes you think, John.
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For some reason I couldn’t avoid that, GP. There are those times. 😊
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Good wandering. That is on my meager list of activities for today. Is this enough?
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I think it is enough but more importantly do you?
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That’s deep.
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Yeah. Can’t avoid it sometimes. Thanks, Craig.
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An excellent and disturbing question.
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It always is. Thanks, Charles.
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Whoa! How a philosophical mouse can create waves. 🙂
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As the last act too. Thanks, Dave.
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Ah, the ponderings of life. I think the little mouse was onto something. 🙂 Great use of the prompt, John.
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He will be remembered for his philosophical view of life.
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A swipe of life! Love Peggy Lee – I wrote her family a note of condolence when she died since her voice was so much a part of my life growing up. They sent me a lovely reply.
Let’s keep dancing!
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As a boy I loved Peggy Lee. Fever was my favorite song for a long time.
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Mine, too!
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😁
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A philosophical mouse for breakfast. Lol. I love the little surprises you spring on us. 🙂
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I think better than an inanimate omelet. Thanks, Diana for your kind words.
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LOL An omelette doesn’t talk back.
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Good point.
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Mouse’s question reminds me of Christmases past, when my sis finished opening more presents than any one kid could use and asked the same thing: Is that all there is? You can imagine my parents’ reaction.
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I can imagine the next year’s limp of coal.
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The correct response to “‘Is that all there is?’” is “Why did you expect more?”
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Or “Yup that’s it.”
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🤣 I was good until the ‘out hunting’ part.
Remember this commercial. Still makes me laugh.
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Very funny, Lois.
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Owls?? The best line? “Why I listen to you is beyond me.”
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You always fool us with your viewpoint, John!
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Cool imaginative observation of those hawks, John. I like watching them, saw a small one grab a starling that was almost as big as him. Took some time to eat that starling.
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This one was deep, John, along with being funny!
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I’m glad there is funny in there.
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That’s all she wrote for the mouse, anyway! As for the bird… until something bigger comes along, his fulfillment will continue to be whatever he captures and munches on.
Fun stuff, as per and excellent tune!
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Yes the bird goes on with just a question about the meaning of life.
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It doesn’t waste its time with the whys or whynots 🙂
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So true in life. In my story the bird has long term anxiety over the mouse’s last words.
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You know it. Poor bird!
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Yeah. reminds me of some people.
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Yeah…
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John, l liked Peggy Lee as well but l was more enamored with the B side of Fever….Quiver🐳
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Ha ha ha. Good one Jim
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Yes, I laughed out loud at the mouse’s comment – thanks, John!
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Yes poor mouse left us al with something.
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Wise food for thought. haha Peggy Lee is a wise, too. 💃🏼🥂🎶 Thanks for the share, John.
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I have always liked Peggy Lee and was glad I could work in one of her songs. Thank you, Michele.
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You’re very welcome and it all worked out well!
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Sorry to bother you, John, but I can not locate your link to Resa’s site.
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I just put it on there GP. Sorry about that.
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Thank you.
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No thank you for the alert. 😁
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I LOVE that ending.
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Thank you, Jacqui. So glad you did.
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Oh, I love this post, John. Peggy Lee is fantastic, and you led into her song perfectly. I’ve pre-ordered and look forward to reading your latest!
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Well Thank you for the preorder. I did not expect that. Thanks, Gwen.
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Awww, poor mousie. Maybe that approach is baked into their DNA and they know that’s all there is?
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I have to wonder at the question. I think it was to make the bird question the meaning of life as a result and thereby the mouse achieves immortality. (Maybe too heavy huh?)
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😂
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🤣
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Well done, John. Leading up to a great song.
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Thanks, Dan. 😁 Love Peggy Lee
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Well done on the prompt, John. I haven’t heard Peggy Lee in ages.
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I haven’t either so I was glad to work her in.
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I’m glad you did!
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That is (was) one deep little mouse.
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Yes. The philosophical mouse. 😁
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Hahaha!
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