I never struggle with a topic for this column, mostly because there are so many good ideas it’s difficult to narrow them down. So my cursor rarely hesitates, it almost always moves along at a steady pace, and it always fills the page.

But for every good idea there are dozens of bad ideas. And for every bad idea there are letters, words and sentences that never make it to print.

One idea that failed to make it to the page had to do with Texas State bird, the Mockingbird. My inspiration came from my daughter Julie, who during a recent trip to San Antonio was amazed at the many colorful flowers that lined the roadside. She mentioned the state flower. I brought up the state bird.

The idea that the Mockingbird is a good symbol for the State of Texas is because Mockingbirds have the most melodious song of any North American bird. While the bird doesn’t possess its own particular melody, it mocks other birds with a rapid succession of songs that repeat two or three times.

I dropped the idea because I figured a better symbol for the state would be the mosquito, mostly because mosquitoes have strong personalities and are blood suckers. You may think all mosquitoes are out to get you, but the truth is that only female mosquitoes pose a threat.

As my good friend Brenda Haner explained: “Try to sleep with a female mosquito in the room and you’ll understand what mosquitoes are capable of.”

Still, the mockingbird is a fierce protector of its nest and can be seen swooping down on a dog, cat or predator that may be venturing too close to its territory.

Another column idea that didn’t make it to the page had to do with a court case where a South Texas man was acquitted of being an accomplice in a stabbing. After reviewing the evidence, the jury felt that the “alleged accomplice” was far too drunk to even realize he was in a brawl when the stabbing occurred.

I dropped the idea because I figured a news story would be a better way to publish the information.

Then there’s my imaginary pet column, for which I have developed pros and cons for the last nine months and for which I have considered, on at least several occasions, in writing a column. The trouble is that the cons always win, and I am left with the conclusion that owning a pet with my confusing “come and go schedule” is an absolute impossibility. There is just too much work to care for a family pet.

And finally, there’s my failed, never published column on my pronouncement to transform my back yard into a veritable greenhouse, with corn, squash, carrots and watermelons growing in abundance. The corn grew only up to my knees, the squash and carrots never broke the earth, and the watermelons didn’t make it past the first few weeks.

So finding something to write about isn’t the problem. Finding something that’s interesting to the readers is what is more difficult and concerns me most. I write to provide an insight in the world we live in.

Over the past few months, I’ve shared both good and bad ideas, but I claim each one with the knowledge that writer’s block was never a problem. Hopefully, it will create a smile or generate a laugh or two.