Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Whack on the Side of the Head Wednesday


You know it's true. In the absence of the whole story, we often times are tempted to create our own.

Me? I could make whole movies. Heck, when I was younger and dating, I wrote whole scenes about my love interests. Where was he? Who was he with? And why didn't he call when he said he would? Misinterpret a colleague's email sand suddenly we've got an entire saga on our hands. Who said what to whom? Can you believe it? And by the way... the walls are going to cave in.

I imagine my movies will only get longer and more dramatic as my boys get older and aren't home, safely tucked in bed by 8:00 p.m. Such is life as Leading Lady turned Supporting Actress.

Creativity in the absence of information. That is the focus of today's post.

My office is located in the Physical Education Building (PEB) at the University of North Texas. About two of every five days that I've walked in the building this summer I notice three piles of folders (three - not two or five, but always three) against the wall.

No one is ever around the folders, though a class is usually in session down and across the hall from where the stacks sit (approximately 40 feet). Two garbage cans are also in the hallway, suggesting if someone meant to discard the folders, there was a place to do so.

P.S. When I walk back down the hallway, around lunch time, the folders are always gone.

What do you think? Exercise your creativity today, by creating a story in the absence of one.

Who do the folders belong to? What are they used for? Why are they there some days and not others? Where do they go when they disappear?

Create a movie, but do it with flair. Don't fill in the gaps with mundane, practical, and highly plausible scenarios. Stretch your imagination and give us something juicy or at least a cliff hanger of sorts.

Signing off until tomorrow...

14 comments:

Chaotic Kristi said...

The folders are put there on days of great luantions by the fey folk. Today, for instance, was the birth of Nostradamus, who CLEARLY saw fairies. It is an experiment the fairy children conduct as part of their schooling to see which humans are curious. Who will be the ONE person to chance taking one and opening it? Who will be the one to see the task or treasure inside? And, shaking their heads in pity, they flit in just before lunch, knowing that those poor human folks are just too tired/busy/inert/etc to have seen the gift they've left.

Chaotic Kristi said...

And, after the children of the wee ones have collected their folders, they take them home to see what- if any- was chosen at random by the 'big people'. They wager (playfully) on the # of folders taken. Their teacher then begins to point out the lesson to be learned form this experiment... that we do not always seize the opportunities right in front of us: That we can be so blinded by our everyday life that we are oblivious to the very thing sought which is right under our nose. This is how the fey teach their children to live life to the fullest, to take a risk on the unknown, to be present in the moment.

eknoxuk said...

The classroom is used by a group of CIA in training and the envelopes are their missions divided into group based on their accomplishments during the class.

heather said...

Hmmmm....I'll have to think on this one.

Claudia said...

Don't let Chaotic's impressive reply dissuade the rest of you from answering. But, Chaotic... great answer.

Next time I pass the stack, I'm going to want to take an envelope, seize the moment, and take a chance in life. You have inspired me.

Anybody else?

Cheryl Houston said...

Nothing is in the envelopes. It's an experiment to see what people will do as they pass the envelopes on the floor.

Will the passerbys straighten up the piles? Will they ignore them? Will they gather them up and throw them in the trash? Will they dare to look inside? Or maybe. Just maybe a crazy lady will walk back to her car to get her camera to take a picture of them. And then, she will go back to her blog and write about them. Oh- wait....

Ha ha!

azlori@cox.net said...

Good one Cheryl.....

Katie said...

It's all sponsored by a new group on campus- The Society of the Manila Envelopes. They are trying to do a RAK by giving away manial evelopes around campus. They are sitting in corners of the hallway where you can't see them waiting for someone to just take an evelope, but no one ever does. So, they continue to put them out, sit in their spots, and wait. PS. Only 2 days a week because those are the days they hold their meetings.

Katie said...

Please ignore my series of typos. Not my day today.

heather said...

I'm going to say that the envelopes contain coded language giving the details to the secret to true happiness...Living the Spirit of 218.

Cristine said...

It's a promotional device by the Philippine tourism department.
The manila component of the name (manila envelope)comes from manila hemp or abaca, from which manila folders were originally made. Manila hemp is native to the Philippines and is named after its capital city.
This offer is also in conjunction with the Western Tablet and Stationery Company of Kalamazoo, Michigan, who created the Pee Chee folder. The yellow Pee Chee All Season Portfolio was a common American stationery item in the second half of the 20th century, commonly used by students for storing school papers. It was first produced in 1943 by the Western Tablet and Stationery Company of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Pee Chees were later produced by the Mead Corporation.

Claudia said...

Ok, you guys are cracking me up. What would be great is if today we had a newcomer to our site - tuning in for the first time and wondering what the #$@% we are doing here.

Cristine, I particularly liked your short lesson in history... or was it georgraphy?

What do I think is going on with the Manilla envelopes? Hmmmmm.....

The manilla envelopes are system for determing admittance into the Kinesology department. Pick an envelope up and immediately it is determined that your curiosity and sense of adventure makes you qualified for the program of study. Pass by the stacks and it is determined you lack the gumption and curiousity necessary to successfully complete the course work.

You've heard of faculty assigning grades by tossing finals in the air and assigning "A" to the ones that land face up. This is their version of that.

Claudia @ Highlowaha said...

Hello Whatever Whimsy! I just saw your post on Friday's "Fin for All" about the mermaid cookies!

We are so glad you have joined us on Highlowaha! If you thought the mermaid cookies were fun then make sure you check back tomorrow (July 2) when we vote for our next cookie cutter! The readers will take the time to surf all of the cookie cutters on Fancy Flours and then choose one to challenge me with for the month of July! Hope to see you then!

Emily S. said...

http://www.fancyflours.com/cookie-cutter-teepee.html

Just because Heather asked. My vote is for the Teepee. Have fun!
Hope everyone is well in the DFW area.