Once upon a time in fairy tale land a princess pricked her finger on a spindle and slept for one hundred years. When I was a kid we placed our 33 rpm LPs on the spindle of Dad's HiFi record player, and slid the button that activated the needle arm with its diamond stylus. Not even Prince Charming could touch the HiFi without being certified in its use by my parents. I knew bumping the record on the spindle was A VERY BAD THING, but wasn't sure how it could put me to sleep. To a young princess like myself, the words "needle arm with diamond stylus" were every bit as magical as "mirror mirror on the wall", "glass slipper", "let down your hair", and "spin straw into gold".
After Texas Ballet Theater's lovely "Sleeping Beauty," I walked back to the Buick Skylark parked by the Dallas Museum of Art. I started the car, and pushed the power button for the radio. The digital screen lit up with
bEEP
No radio. It wouldn't turn off. It wouldn't play. Sort of freaky, like someone sending a creepy joke. Eventually it played a cd. When I ejected the cd the radio worked. No further messages appeared.
What a relief!
I'm sorry Nancy, I'm afraid I can't do that...
© 2010 Nancy L. Ruder
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