I'm walking to my desk when I see a co-worker that I haven't see for weeks. He just got back from a trip to Italy. "What was an experience that stood out to you?" I ask.

"Probably when I was driving down the highway passing a burning car with the an Italian leaning against it smoking a cigarette."

I could not stop laughing at the mental image. I imagined a guy having a bad day. His car catches on fire. That's the last straw. He gets out and lights his cigarette on his burning vehicle. Now, I don't condone smoking (seriously, keep your lungs pink!), but I know I have to hold on to that image for a possible character in a future story.

And what's better is my co-worker actually got a video. I can't see the guy in the video, but it's still helpful to me in capturing the idea. Here it is...

It's morning rush hour traffic and I'm driving to work with my wife in the car. We're talking with classical music on in the background (cuz, Imma a nerd) when suddenly I hear emotion in the music. I don't mean it's just a nice song. I mean the song feels weighty and expressive. Something about it grabs me. I jolt upright in my seat and practically throw my phone into my wife's hands. "Record! Record! Record! The song! The song!" I blurt. Although a little stunned by my manic behavior, she records a clip of the song before it dies away. And now, I have it. I can catalogue it. I can go back to it. It may not resonate with you, but it does with me and that's what matters. If you're curious here it is...