Friday, May 05, 2006

Obsessive Compuzzle.

Hello. Welcome to my first blog post. As far as introductions go, this little story should be as good as any, since it gives some insight into who I am.

I used to live in San Francisco, near the crest of Nob Hill (a really big hill, even by San Francisco standards). To catch the bus to Sausalito (where I worked) I had to trek up the rest of the hill, then down the other side. One day on the way to work, I noticed a single puzzle piece lying face-down in the street. As I passed it I wondered, what's a single puzzle piece doing in the street? Where are the rest of the pieces? How did it get there? Is someone just finishing a thousand-piece puzzle now being taunting by an empty space?

I should mention I, along with most of the males in my family, have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This was before I was on meds keeping it under control, so I was consumed with puzzle piece thoughts. Especially, what picture was on the other side of it? Forgetting about my bus, even though I had just finished the ten minute walk to the bus stop, I went back up the steep hill towards the piece.

Turning it over revealed it was no ordinary piece. It was a key piece. Imagine putting this puzzle together: Sky. Sky. Sky. Sky. Sky. Tree! Finally, tree! Such a special piece, just cast into the gutter.

I thought it had all the elements of a great landscape painting for a tiny apartment: fluffy white clouds on the lower left side, blue sky, and of course, a tree. New York City apartments being the size they are, this piece of "found art" has taken up residence in mine.



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