Snuffleoffagus Thinking

                     Snuffleoffagus thinking

         Mary and I had just returned from a wonderful ten day run through the Southern Caribbean. It was Christmas time. Even the tropical islands were lit up with Christmas lights. When we did stop at any of the islands, the sounds of “Jingle Bells,” echoing through the swaying Palms along the beach, seemed somewhat out of place. But, after a bit, you just accept where you are and the new normal. I think a fat roly-poly Santa, in a red wool sweat suit, would have collapsed with heat stroke after the first hour. Female elves in bikinis? That wouldn’t work either.

     On board the Princess vessel, the crew did their best to offer Christmas Carols and music performances that reflected the season. Like everywhere, there were people who wore their ugly Christmas sweaters and other seasonal regalia. They looked just as odd in the tropics as they do up North.

    Still, the mood was festive and people were trying their best to enjoy the wonderful weather and abundant sunshine. A continuous flow of alcoholic beverages served as a mood enhancer for an appreciative passenger compliment.

     The Enchanted Princess is a large cruise ship. She carried over 3,600 passengers and 1,500 crew on this Christmas voyage. The crew was well trained and industrious. The quality of the food was superb. What is not to like, right?

     We found that out when we docked at Fort Lauderdale ten days later,  in the driving rain.  A rather nasty sinus and upper respiratory infection had crept over us as, we scurried across the Everglades to our home in Estero, Florida. In a scrum of people that large, any viral infections sweeps through the population like a wildfire. Many of us were engulfed.

      It blossomed fully in the next few days, knocking us flat with coughing, congestion and general misery. We did our best, but could not seem to shake the malady, even ten days later. Mostly, we read books, watched television and did cross word puzzles to pass the time. It passed slowly. During that restricted period, we even snuck out for coffee and fresh air, avoiding contact with others lest we spread the contagion.

       I had tried to continue working on my next book but found that mental processes, while suffering from a head cold, just don’t work so well. Even linear thinking about a project or idea seemed to be more of a muddle than any rational pattern of thought. Thus, I coined the term snuffleoffagus thinking. It is that muddled and circuitous pattern of thought that wind its way through a fevered miasma of confused thinking and end up as verbal pablum, of no appreciable value to anyone.

      After ten days and still feeling lower than a snake’s belly, I thought I would try and assemble a few words to see if I could finally arrive at some pattern of thought and maybe begin writing something that might pass for either information or entertainment. I haven’t succeeded yet.  But, maybe tomorrow will be better.

                                    -30-

                              (505 words)

                          Joseph Xavier Martin