The parable of Ozmodiar is more important today than ever. And no, I’m not talking about an allegorical planet in which sympathy takes the form of blue cheese and flatulence represents the soul of man. I’m talking about the animated extra from the cultural beacon, The Simpsons. Ozmodiar appears in the final scene of an episode from season eight, and only Homer can see him.
While some would argue the delightful little alien imp doesn’t exist, I think those people stink. Not only is Ozmodiar alive and well, but the very concept of individual conception or unique perspective is critical for maintaining a dynamic civilization worth upholding the beautiful gift of life.
What pray tell have I been smoking? Why Ozmodiar, of course. For this is the essence of living. Each and every one of us has an Ozmodiar, a unique perspective, a sprite that only you or I can see. For you it might be the ability to spot stains in movie theater carpet. For someone else it might be the ability to see humor in Woody Allen.
That’s Ozmodiar. Finding your Ozmodiar and sharing it with the world is the quest of life. What is it that only you can see? And without your efforts will go unseen by limitless others? The ability to trim a tasteful mullet? A means of making beets taste like Twinkies?
But don’t panic. If you glance around while nobody is looking and all you see is a wisp of fleeting shadow, there is still time. Ozmodiar rarely comes all at once. Rather one finds the imp piecemeal. Here is an eye, here a hat. Ozmodiar is a lifelong quest.
For myself, I’ve found shades of color and sniffs of odor. A paragraph of Ozmodiar here and a plot outline there. So far it appears I have the unique ability to take meaningful subjects and render them impertinent and tasteless. I’ve breathed new life into the aether as a flibbertigibbet of schlock.
Maybe I haven’t quite set myself apart. Certainly flocks of dozens can still make out the edges of the Ozmodiar I see through the window when the glare is just right. But my Ozmodiar is becoming clearer everyday, and that’s the journey. Perhaps it’s time for you to join me in the adventure.