Picture yourself in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies.

 The Beatles, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds Can you still imagine that you will experience a time, or a season, that would make Willie Wonka jealous? A place where ​Johnny Walker is cheap and ice cream is free; a place where indulgence is rewarded, and calories are like points on “Whose Line is It, Anyway?” Do you still dare to ponder, dare to wonder, or dare to dream!

a time to ponder

All I really wanted was a hot-dog, but nothing is that easy anymore. I fear that the days of thoughtlessly dropping $1.59 on the counter of Costco and walking away with nutrition for the body and food for the soul are nearing the end. It’s too easy to overthink almost everything. Insignificant decisions, such as where to grab our next meal, are now cluttered with an assessment of the number of likes, stars, and reviews that an overgrown​ hot dog cart received. ​Somethings merit thoughtful consideration and carefully researched outcomes, but not every decision is on par with buying a new firearm or a second pair of dress socks. No need to ponder how to perform an everyday activity, such as walking to the refrigerator; it should be as effortless as putting one foot in front of the other. 

a time to wonder

I wonder whatever happened to the *Thoughtless Bucket*, our illusionary Tupperware where instructions to auto-pilot actions are stored. I don’t recall a time that I had to revisit the instructions that taught me how to step over a neglected chew toy or re-couple one of my son’s shoes with its partner, a shoe now hidden in the treasure trove of the mischievous Wonder Pup. I wonder how what was once common-place became a challenge? Would I still take for granted the common and the ordinary if it was suddenly easy; the routine and the mundane if it was effortless? Would I consider it pure joy to mow the lawn or to clear the ice from our front porch if..?I wonder if I would still be willing to take the leap of faith for which I advocated, now that I know what was ahead? Would I carpe diem or just seize the newest Lazy-boy — one with a cooler built into the armrest?

a time to dream

We can still dream of realities free from discomfort, distortion, and decay. We can long for hallways free from *forgotten chew-toys* that cause us to stumble. We can pray for discernment as we encounter fads, and other misguided attempts in social engineering, that promise relief as opposed to something that offers true wisdom and wellness, healing and happiness. We can dream our life still matters because it does; our hope is eternal because it can be. 

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Thanks for reading and liking, share it if you must. You will have to forgive Ivy, she is still pouting. Al and his faithful, but an ​unapologetic sidekick, Ivy the Wonder Pup.”It’s a crate, ​not a cell.”