Bathroom Inspiration

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You can't wait for inspiration.
You have to go after it with a club.
- Jack London

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We all find inspiration in different ways.  I'll admit, I've been known to snap photos in random stores, at billboards, or even of women in high heels in parking lots.  I just know when inspiration strikes me, or I see an idea I feel I can build upon, I need to either write it down or photograph it.  This is a trait Aaron and I must have in common. 

We were on the road most of the day Saturday for Aaron's great aunt's funeral.  We stopped at a truck stop to fill my car with gas and get on the road for home.  While I won't name where exactly we were, to better paint the picture for this post, let's just say we've come to lovingly refer to it as the sceptic tank of Iowa.  When we were on the road again, he turned to me completely out of the blue and said, "I just got inspiration for my next paper in the bathroom, so I snapped a photo." 

After a brief silence I responded, "I think this one is going to need some more explanation," and we immediately burst into laughter. 

Aaron is in grad school, which involves writing lots of papers.  Apparently his next paper is on his leadership credo.  How that and a restroom go hand in hand certainly did lead us to a good laugh.  You see, in the truck stop restroom, among the many ads that will go unmentioned, there was a photo of Bruce Lee and a quote.  It was a quote that gave Aaron his inspiration for this next paper.  He knew he wouldn't remember it  therefore, he photographed it. 

As if the entire story itself weren't funny enough, when he actually showed me the photo he had taken I nearly fell off my chair laughing.  Never mind the huge glare from the flash, but I could not make out the quote whatsoever!  My niece, Allyson, would beg to differ as she seemed to have no problem.  Perhaps it is youthful eyes, but I couldn't read a thing.  Nevertheless, it was pretty hilarious to actually see this inspiration - this amazing Bruce Lee quote right in front of him, along side with Ewe-Pull, a business with the tag line "Come pull your own parts at Ewe-Pull." 

And you all thought I made this stuff up!  Thanks to Aaron for sending me his amazing truck stop photo.  Proof to never underestimate where your next inspiration may come from.  Even while traveling through the sceptic tank of Iowa.

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