The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Stuck in a rut? Need a rush of new ideas? Perhaps you need a creativity boost. Just like taking Vitamin C to help us fight off a cold, there are ways we can restructure our environment and how we interact with it to boost our creativity. The following brief YouTube video provides you with a creativity boost. Great tips to fire up your creativity. Enjoy.
Chapter 12
Nonna began rocking back and forth. She stroked the package and sang to it as if it were a new born baby.
“What, Nonna. What?” begged Zeke.
Nonna opened her eyes, a beatific smile appeared on her face, “I can’t tell you boys whats a in here. I’m a gonna hold it for safe keeping. I let nothing happen to it. You betcha your life.”
“Nonna, Tony Gallino will have us killed if we lose the package. Please give me the package,” asked Zeke.
“Tony G not gonna hurt you. He hurt you I put a curse on him make him wish he was in the morgue. I put a curse on him make him wish he was deader than a dead mackerel. I put a curse on him he come crawling to me to take it off him.”
“What about us? We’ll already be dead,” asked Zeke.
“That’s a chance you gotta take. Now, I give you something to fix everything that bothers you. You feel better right away,” Nonna placed the package on her lap. She still gripped it tightly with her left hand and arm. She reached into the top of her dress and fished around in her bra. She pulled her hand out and held it open to the boys.
She handed Zeke a handful of garlic, “Here’s what chu do. You eat a clove of garlic now, and you eat one before bed. You wear one around you neck. If you making love to a girl tonight, eat two cloves. It do wonders for you. Now getta outa my house until I tell you to come back for the package or I put a curse on you.”
Thirty minutes later, Zeke and Mickey are sitting at the far end of the bar in Lombardi’s. Three other men are sitting further down the bar. One of the men says, “The Sox need to pull the pitcher. He’s getting tired.”
The second man said, “I’ve never been tired and how hard does a pitcher work. What’s he do throw a baseball a hundred times and makes a million plus a year? Give me a break.”
The third man said, “You talking breaks, Jimmy Giano broke his leg in two places last week. That’s a break.”
Gus was standing behind the bar halfway between the three guys talking about this and that and Zeke and Mickey. Gus is wondering if he’s in hell and doesn’t know he died.
Zeke says, “Mickey, we are in deep trouble. If Tony G finds out, he’ll have us whacked. If we take the package away from Nonna she’ll put a curse on us. I been using my brain and I can see a way out of this. I think we gotta get out of town. Go someplace with Gallino can’t find us and Nonna’s curse won’t work.”
Mickey was finishing his third beer. He signaled Gus for his fourth. Gus drew a draft and slid it down the bar. Mickey stuck out his right hand snagged it.
“I can catch with either hand, Zeke. You think I can make it in the majors as a shortstop? Hernandez is terrible at short for the Sox. He can’t field and he can’t hit. At least I can field.”
“Did you hear anything I said?” asked Zeke.
“About what?” asked Mickey.
“About anything?” asked Zeke.
“Nope. I was thinking about what Nonna told me about garlic. You think if I eat it and wear it around my neck it will attract women? I’m willing to try anything.”
Before Zeke could answer, Tony Gallino and two of his bodyguards walked into Lombardi’s. He walked four feet inside, scanned the bar and said, “Just the two guys I’m looking for.”
What does Tony Gallino want with Zeke and Mickey? Will the boys figure a way out of their dilemma?
The wise read the markers left by those who have blazed the trails. They learn the lessons that others in their generosity share. They adapt the lessons to their journey. Umberto Eco shares his wisdom to anyone who aspires to be a writer in this brief YouTube video. His wisdom can be applied to all aspects of life. Enjoy.
God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer. – Saint Teresa of Calcutta
Chapter 11
The door opened. Nonna, stood there in her black dress. She held her kitchen carving knife in her right hand. She looked at Zeke, “It’s you, I was a making sure. You tell that no good Palitroni fellow you hang out with he make one move to me I gonna cut him.”
Mickey spoke up from behind Zeke, “I’m not going to make a false move, Nonna.”
“I’m a no you Nonna. You betcha you not gonna make a move to me. I’m a gonna go swish and swish, you never get married, believe me.”
“He believes you, Nonna. Honest,” said Zeke.
“Okay, now we know a my house rules, you boys can come in and have some wine with me. I only drink after noontime. Then I drink until I go to sleep.”
Nonna led Zeke and Mickey into her living room. The boys sat on the sofa. Nonna came back with a bottle house red wine and two wine glass. She handed Zeke and Mickey a glass, then filled them. She returned to the kitchen and came back with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and a crystal class. She sat in a chair, filled her glass, and placed the bottle on the floor.
“I give you boys the cheap stuff, because one of you is a Palitroni. No way I’m a gonna waste the good stuff on Palitroni’s. Salute,” said Nonna raising her glass.
“Salute,” answered Zeke and Mickey.
“Whatchu boys what? I’m busy. I got a big night planned.”
Nonna piqued Zeke’s curiosity, “Nonna, what plans do you have tonight? There a senior dinner at Saint Anthony’s?”
“You make a nother wise crack like that, I gonna smack you across the head, Zeke. I expect that from Palitroni, but not from you. You one of us.”
Zeke held his hands up in surrender, “No offense, I was just thinking.”
“You never been good at thinking. That’s why you dropped out of school.”
“I didn’t drop out, Nonna. I stopped going. There’s a technical difference,” said Zeke.
“You watching too much Judge Judy and think you a lawyer. You last name’s Pratti, not Silverstein. You don’t think I know the difference?”
The conversation is getting away from Zeke. Mickey, who is not as bright as Zeke rises to the occasion, he slides the package in front of Zeke.
“Nonna, the reason we’re here is to ask you for help. This is the package Tony Gallino had us pick up. We want to know what’s inside it. Can you use your inner eye and tell us?” asked Zeke handing the package to Nonna.
Nonna took the package. She set it on her lap. She placed both palms flat on the package and began singing a song in Italian. She moved the palms of her hands to the sides of the box and began chanting. Then she said loudly, “Rocco, you tell me what’s a in this a package or I gonna sleep with Mario tonight.”
Nonna’s eyes were closed. Her lips moved, but no words were heard. Her head nodded. She picked the box up and pressed it close to her chest. Then she said, “It’s a good thing for you, Rocco, you tell me whats a in here because you best friend Mario he’s a making a big time play for me. He tells me this is what you want. Now, I gonna put a curse on him because you tell me to be true. Ciao.”
Mickey couldn’t help himself, “Nonna, what did Rocco tell you?”
Nonna opened her eyes, she looked at Zeke, “Who asked Palitroni to speak? I didn’t. Besides his feet stink. You tell him to wash his feet if he want to come with you next time to my house.”
Zeke nodded.
“This is whats a in this package.”
What is in the package? Will Mickey wash his feet? What will Zeke and Mickey do?
When you’ve lost everything, you’ve got nothing to lose. ~Ken Follett
Pride often gets in the way of our ability to love. It gets in the way of discovering who we really are and what is our purpose in life. It stifles our growing into authentic human beings. Every once in a while a good dose of humility opens our eyes to the reality of our life and asks us important questions. The following time-lapse Vimeo video taken in New Zealand offers us an opportunity to see our place in our vast, beautiful, mystical cosmos. Enjoy.
Chapter 10
Zeke turned onto Walnut Ave. Cars lined both sides of the street. Walnut Ave was barely passible for two cars heading in opposite directions.
“What are going to do, Zeke? There’s no parking places,” said Mickey his arms and hands were holding Tony Gallino’s package with a jaws of life grip.
Zeke gave a slight turn of the head toward Mickey. What are talking about? There’s one up ahead by Nicky Zuma’s piece of crap.”
Mickey bent forward toward the dash, “Help me out, Zeke. I don’t see it.”
“It’s right in from of Nonna’s. Nicky should know by now the fire hydrant is reserved for me. Nonna is not his nonna. You know what I mean?”
“I think so, Zeke. What are going to do about it?” asked Mickey.
“Watch this. I accomplish two things at once. One, I get a preferred parking space on Walnut Ave. Two, I teach Nicky not to mess with me. Understand?”
“No? But you’re the brains. I got my hands full. I can’t think about anything else than protecting this package,” said Mickey.
Zeke slowed his Chevy and crept toward Nicky Zuma’s piece of crap. Slowly, he pulled even with Nicky’s piece of crap.
Mickey peeked out his window. “Brilliant Zeke. I couldn’t fit a credit card between the cars. You didn’t even ding him. You taught Nicky a good lesson. Especially if he has to go somewhere like his shift which starts in thirty minutes.”
“Tough noogies for Nicky. Let’s go, Mickey. Take the package with you. Nonna’s going to have hold it to put her inner eye to use,” said Zeke.
“I got a problem, Zeke,” said Mickey.
Zeke was out of the car. He looked in at Mickey staring at Nicky’s piece of crap, “What’s the problem, Mickey?”
“I, I can’t open my door without whacking Nicky’s car. I can’t get out. What am I going to do?” asked Mickey.
Zeke took a deep breath. He bent over and stuck his head into the car. He said, “Mickey, hand me the package. I’ll hold it while you crawl over and come out my door.”
Mickey handed the package to Zeke, then slapped the side of his head, “Why didn’t I think of that? It’s like you can see things, Zeke, nobody else can see.”
A car behind the boys honked and the driver stuck his head out the window and said, “You know you’re double parking. You can’t do that on this street.”
Both boys flipped off the driver who pulled out from behind the boys and sped past them.
Zeke turned to Mickey, “Some people got a lot of nerve. You could tell he doesn’t live around here. If he did, he knows that double parking is legal.”
“Yah, even triple parking if a party is going on,” said Mickey.
The boys climbed on top of the hood of Nicky Zuma’s piece of crap, jumped once to put a dent in the hood, then jumped off. A moment later, the boys were inside the three-story house and knocking on Nonna’s door.
“What chu want with me?” said Nonna.
“It’s me, Zeke. I need to talk with you,”
“You sure it’s you? You got ID?” asked Nonna.
“I have my driver’s license and my union card,” said Zeke.
“I want three pieces of ID. I no fool. Any fool can make an ID. I used to do it all the time when I was younger so I could go in the bars.”
“Wait a second, Nonna,” said Mickey.
“I’m a not going to wait a second or even two seconds. If you don’t got ID, I don’t want to see you.”
“I got it. I got it. They all say I am Zeke Pratti,” said Zeke without looking for any ID.
“Okay, I’m a going let you in. But I’m not going to let that Palitroni in. I can’t trust the Palitroni’s. They no good for six generations.”
“You let him in earlier today, Nonna. He’s one of the good Palitroni’s,” said Zeke.
“Let me think about it. Okay, I thought about it. He can come in if he takes off his shoes. I don’t want no dirt tracked in by a Palitroni. They got diseases and I don’t have time for an STD.”
Zeke looked at Mickey and whispered, “Give me the package. I’ll hold it. Take off your shoes.”
“My socks got holes in them, Zeke,” said Mickey.
“That’s okay, don’t worry about it.”
“If you say so,” said Mickey.
“His shoes are off, Nonna.”
“Okay, you boys come in, but you tell Palitroni I’m a good with a knife.”
What advice will Nonna give the boys? What will Nicky Zuma think about his car?
As we mature, we become more likely to shut down our sense of adventure. We are more likely to settle for small dreams. We are more likely to make excuses such as, “I don’t have the time,” or “I’m getting too old for that.” What if we turned the little boy or girl within us loose and reclaimed our sense of adventure. We might dare to dream big dreams. We might dare to take a life changing risk and not worry about the outcome because the little boy or girl knows he or she can handle it. Get inspired with this Vimeo video.
