Anagrams

I have posted an "anagram of the day" as my Facebook status update almost daily for nearly three years. I've skipped only about five days in total during this period of time.
Why did I start this? A couple of reasons. First, I wanted to do something a little different than the typical Facebook post, a break from "Hey, come and see my cat performing great scenes from Neil Simon!" and "Going for lunch with Ron and Roy. We're going to eat lynx tongue. Finally!" Second, and more important, I hoped that this might lead to fame. The People Magazine kind of fame. You know what I mean. "Roberta Powell of Truscott, Arizona has ate beans every day since 1988." That kind of fame. And in this era of easy accessibility, it's not as if I'd have to seek People Magazine out. Somebody from the publication would find out about "that Facebook anagram guy," right?
Not yet.
But...I am known, sort of, as "that Facebook anagram guy." My friends do read them. Some even comment. Many seem to "like" the anagrams.
It's become a fun sort of game. I post an anagram-for example, today's was "Asp Spa"- and then a definition in the comments bar. Today was "Cleopatra THOUGHT that she was going to relax." Others can, if they wish, come up with their own definition, phrase, or alternative anagram. It's a great deal of fun, and I receive a strange satisfaction from posting. In fact, when I skip a day, I feel emptier, less complete, as though I've failed to complete a daily chore. I've found that I go through periods when I obsess over anagrams. I see them everywhere. They pop into my head with no warning. I strive to turn every word which I read into an anagram. I often write down a months worth of posts, and I feel an odd sense of pride, or maybe triumph, when I post an anagram which receives several likes and comments. Sometimes I'm too clever ("Sinatra: Art, A Sin" received no airplay) and sometimes some of what I believe are my least inspired and boring ones generate a lot of activity.
I've (re)learned that simple is often best.
So, if People Magazine-or Leno, or Letterman- haven't come a'callin', why haven't I stopped by now?
Simple: I NEED to do this. It's a form of discipline, making that time every day, no matter my physical or emotional state, to post. Sometimes I have to force myself. Good. I need that. Too often in my live I have taken the easy way out, avoided or put off things which I don't want to do.
The anagrams keep my artistic juices flowing. It's a form of creative calisthenics, like a daily visit to the mind gym.
The anagrams make people happy. And I like to put a smile on somebody's face, or a laugh in their heart. Lots of bad news out there today. If I can provide even a one or two minute distraction from all of the unpleasantness, well, that makes me happy.
The anagrams make me look a lot more clever than I am, I hope. So, yeah, they're an ego boost as well.
I love words and wordplay. Very few things give me more pleasure. So, yeah, they're personal and somewhat self-indulgent, too.
I like the fact that I refuse to use one of the myriad anagram finders available online. To me, that's cheating. The anagrams must come from my head. But,....
...occasionally I receive suggestions. I do use them, with due credit. I will not say that something is mine when it isn't. I like reading suggestions. It means that people are playing, and thinking, and engaging in creative talk. All good things.
I've had to google some words to make sure that what I was posting was accurate. I was pretty sure that I knew the definitions of "scion," "pocks," and "monde," but I wasn't comfortably sure. Now I am. I liked doing that little bit of research.
I've read that playing word games may help to stave off Alzheimer's Disease. Nothing frightens me more than the prospect of losing my mind, which I believe to be my strongest suit. If the "anagram game," as some call it, helps to keep my brain strong, I'm all for it.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.