Goldilocks needed three attempts before she found the perfect bed to sleep in. Unfortunately, her sleep was interrupted when the the three bears came home early. She ran away, never to return. My journey in search of my own "zen zone" began when I was about the same age as Goldilocks. My family sought refuge from the Arizona heat in places like the California beaches where locals called us Zonies and south of the border in Kino Bay with our cousins building sand castles and dreaming about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I had no clue I would find my "zen zone" in Iowa. Here's my fairy tale story...
Chapter One – A Zonie frog was hanging out with his friends at Malarkey's, a local watering hole. The lights started flashing and everyone headed for the dance floor. The frog spotted a princess but she was too far away to reach in time to ask her to dance. When their eyes met, he quickly pointed to the dance floor and smiled at her. The song, Living on Video by Trans-X, was blaring through the sound system and crowded bodies squeezed together like dancing sardines. Three songs later, the frog and the princess sat down.
Chapter Two – The frog married the princess and the two Zonies became California residents. They had three kids. One day the princess woke up and told the frog she was homesick for her family in Iowa. The frog thought their home was perfect but there was a tiny pea under the mattress and it disturbed the princess every time she tried to sleep. Four years later, the frog acquiesced. The couple sold most of their possessions and moved to Iowa.
Chapter Three – One day the princess kissed her frog and he turned into a writer. He wrote his first book, a memoir about his dad's return home after leaving the pond for an extended period of time. Some of the other characters in the book didn't feel comfortable and got mad at the brother frog who turned into a writer. The writer decided that from now on he will only write about fairly tales so everyone can live happily ever after.
Chapter Four – The writer/frog/father of three/husband of a princess found his zen zone in Iowa. It's a place of peace and serenity. He writes every morning about his fairy tale life. His princess bride has been his wife for twenty-five years. She is happy that the pea under the mattress is gone and she sleeps better than Goldilocks. Fortunately, there are no bears in Iowa. The bears live in Minnesota, one state away. The couple plans to take up Yoga soon and they are living happily ever after. The End.
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