What Is It?

Do you know what this object is? As I poured bran flakes into my cereal bowl, this thing fell out of the box. As you can see, it's about 2 inches (5 cm) long and egg-shaped. It's hard as rock—maybe harder. I gave it to a neighbor's dog. The dog was unable to chew it but did manage to put a very small scratch on it before giving up. The nugget makes me wonder about the degree of quality control that goes into the food products we purchase. For all I know, there may be a small mouse hidden inside that object. Or perhaps if it were polished, its inner glory would burst forth like the gleam of polished labradorite—only, much more brown.

Labradorite is a gemstone that is found inside certain kinds of rock. Some people think it has magical properties and can be useful in healing—a kind of crystal energy, I suppose. You can buy labradorite polished to wear as a pendant or to use for healing energy—if you believe pretty rocks have healing properties. Labradorite is named after (I'm sure you've already guessed this) Labrador, Canada, where it was discovered.

Labradorite should not be confused with Labrador Retriever, which is a breed of dog bred especially to retrieve game. Labrador Retrievers are said to have a temperament that is kind, pleasant, outgoing and of a tractable nature—unlike rocks, which will not fetch dead birds for you, regardless of how long you plead with them.

So you can see why I might wonder what is inside that nugget composed of bran flakes and industrial cement that fell from the cereal box into my bowl.

This article has wandered far from where I started, but that is the way of blogs. Writing them is like following a creek in the woods—I never know what direction they'll take next.