I've lost my mojo!

I just took an online quiz that showed a video of 20 different people smiling (http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=12280). The object of the quiz is to guess if the smile was fake or genuine... I'm pleased to say that my long exposure to customers in the fast food industry has apparently given me some unique insight into the topic, as I got 19 out of 20 right. I know when someone is smile-f***ing me!! Woo-hoo!!! ;)

And speaking of fast food, I came to the realization that my muse, my mojo... It's dead! Back in the times of yore (not to be confused with Yor, Hunter from the Future, which was the worst movie I have EVER seen) I used to churn out writing in rediculously high quantities, whether it was short stories, submissions to NESs, or posts on bulletin boards. Now? Not so much...

After some reflection I've decided that I don't produce at the same level for two different reasons:

a) Time. I used to work at jobs that required me to work for long hours and yet use little in the way of brainpower. I worked in fast food for almost 7 years. When working alone in a stifling kitchen surrounded by annoyingly hot and beeping things, one can either use one's imagination to escape the drudgery or one can lose it completely and start talking to the various food products as you handle them. Admittedly, there were moments that I lost focus and began regaling teen burgers with songs of ardour, but on the most part I spent my time thinking of stories, angles, and messages that I could conjure during my next session in front of a keyboard.

b) Emotional trauma. Yes, I'm referring to the wicked world of dating and relationships. Generally, dating is like emotional bungee jumping. The highs are excitingly high but the lows are depressingly low. Regardless of high or low, however, there was tremendous amounts of emotion generated that I was able to fuel my writing. Whether it was the heart-racing nervous at attempting to woo a female, the dispair and pathos at being rejected by a female, or the jubilant excitement at succeeding at wooing a female, it was all fuel for writing.

Now, however, firmly established in a successfully relationship that rarely contains disagreement, let alone a fight, I find myself emotionally neutered. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy as heck, but instead of doing the sine-curve thing emotionally I'm flat-lining. Sure, there's the odd peak and valley around (like last weekend when I was coming out of the water, slipped, and cranked my toes against a submerged rock... luckily the rest of the family was up at the cottage so I was able to vent the pain using a carefully constructed sentence that only contained four-letter words), but generally speaking it's a stable existence that is bereft of mojo.

What to do, what to do? The thought crossed my mind that I could start kicking more things to cause myself pain, but frankly that doesn't seem all that appealing to me! For now, I'm hoping that if I just start trying to spew stuff out the juices will start flowing again.

Mmmm... juices....

* * *

On a completely different note, Panther and I are getting together for dinner with the rest of my curling team (the team and their significant others). Things are new and different this year, as dreadmouse and I are venturing off to a different club and teaming up with two new curlers in a mixed league, but frankly I'm really looking forward to it. Change, in this case, is good. I'll definitely miss curling with Rob, who I've curled with for eons (or so it seems), but a new club and new curlers (and new friends!) sounds very enticing to me right now (even if it cost about $100 more than I expected!).

Anyways, that's it for now... Off to muse!! ;)

Peace,
FPoD