A person doesn’t have to be barmy to get along in this world, but sometimes it sure does help.
The dictionary definition is a little too severe and rigid. To me, being barmy is having a sprinkling of the fairy dust of imagination, a bit of starlight in one’s eyes and a whimsical scattering of moon beams to dance through. It’s retaining a child’s wonder and enthusiasm, the unshakable belief that good is stronger than bad and things will be all right in the long run. It’s the ability to laugh when crying would be the first reaction. Or, at least, to smile a bit.
After the rain
Yesterday, I found a lovely, white toadstool that had sprung up after the rain. Immediately, I thought, what a neat umbrella for a tree frog. And, it reminded me of a poem I wrote once, long ago. Here’s the part I thought of, from A Sudden Shower: The mushroom’s an umbrella for a lovely butterfly And the pumpkin vine’s a shelter for a cricket hopping by.
Barminess is a handy attribute for a writer of fiction, especially cozy mysteries. I mean, how else are we to handle all that mysterious stuff, the scariness, the shadows and unexplained noises, except with a light, humorous touch? If we can laugh at it all as we snuggle down in our favorite chair, the mysterious becomes deliciously shivery.
Tree Frog
Don’t worry if you don’t have a touch of barminess anywhere in your bones. You can acquire it. Just let go of the stuffiness of everyday monotony and grab hold of your imagination. It can take you anywhere, at any time. To make it much easier and more fun for you, my publisher, Pen-L Publications, has lowered the price of all my mysteries except By the Fright of the Silvery Moon. It is Ned McNeil’s brand-new cozy.
But, those other five books? Oh, my goodness! Each one is only 99 cents for the e-book and, starting this morning, the print copies are reduced too! They are $9.99. That’s hard to beat.
This is the start of another weekend. I hope it goes well for you, happily, and with a touch of barminess, just to make those troubles fade into the distance. And, if a mystery should come your way, may it be a cozy one touched with more than a sprinkling of those delicious shivers.
www.Pen-L.com/Manos.html
https://www.amazon.com/Blanche-Day-Manos/e/B0090018EI
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