Daydream Believer

Not a good thing to daydream around woodworking machinery. I am reminded of Ishmael's warning to Ship Captains in "The Masthead" chapter of Moby Dick not to put dreamy-eyed romantics in the crow's nest to lookout for whales. They get so caught up in their reveries they lose track of time, forget all about whaling and sometimes fall right out of the rigging.

When I'm feeling particularly daydreamy, I turn off the machines and do the work that will allow my mind to wander. Sanding and finishing let you do all the thinking you want with minimal danger to life or limb. They are both meditative processes and after a few strokes, I usually find myself in daydream land. Most of the time I think of boring stuff like: the number of steps I need to take to complete a particular project, or the phone calls I need to make; the many todo lists that are part of running a business. The other day I imagined a "Dagwood" sandwich. It was the type my mother made for us many years ago and consisted of baloney, red onion, iceberg lettuce, thick sliced tomatoes from the garden and bright orange Velveeta processed cheese on very white white bread. The key ingredient was Miracle Whip slathered heavily on both slices of bread. Mmmmm. Good. With Boyd's (of Lynn, Mass) potato chips on the side and a tall glass of whole milk. Now I'm eating humus and tabooli salad on peta bread with a side of cantaloupe. I wash it all down with bottled mineral water. Where did I go so wrong?
I wonder.