Taking Time Off

I apologize for not having an updated post, but my wife and I just came back from an extended vacation, extended to help us work some things out.

Our first stop was Niagara Falls. It was fun, but a little too touristy to me. The maid of the mist was probably the highlight.

We then traveled to Boston. I enjoyed this because I love to see and learn about American history. The tour of the USS Constitution was exciting, but the highlight was probably the tour of Fenway Park (and I am not even a Red Sox fan).

Lastly, we went to Philadelphia. This contained more American history, but it was easier to see because everything was centralized. I liked seeing Carpenter’s Hall and Independence Hall along with the Liberty Bell. I was disappointed I did not get to see the Rocky statue nor Valley Forge because it was raining.

All things considered, a productive trip.

Tongue Planted….

…. firmly in cheek.

‘The Only Constant Is Change’.

That statement is more an awareness, a recognition…. rather than an ongoing embracement and welcoming of circumstance. I don’t normally write anything personal here, and I don’t intend to make a habit of it, but this weekend was a milestone of sorts and I fell compelled to share.

So, in concert with that, is the acknowledgement that I am indeed human. I like a certain amount of ’sameness’, of routine, certitude. I also like to put a good deal of preparation into ‘the big stuff’, lots of thought, I ponder all the options. Snappy decisions aren’t my forte…. and I ain’t as young as I used to be.

To digress…. Brenda and I had our twentieth anniversary dinner a little late; Saturday night to be exact. It was a great time, wonderful company, savoury food, lots of shared memories and lively talk. Between our ‘before’, ‘during’ and ‘after’ dinner talks we managed to hash out some reunification plans; how to re-arrange the house, how to re-blend possessions, what to be rid of… and then we got to talking about the ‘when’ of it.

It seems that now we’re in agreement on things I’m wanted on deck post haste, ASAP, pronto, NOW! … and hey! it’s nice to be wanted and all… but it’s too much work to do overnight. I’ll just have to tackle the sorting, chucking and packing as best I can, a room at a time. Look….there…. in the near future … a heckofayard sale!!!

After exercising lots of patience I wasn’t prepared to suddenly rush…. and you’re likely thinking, ‘Lord, will nothing make this man happy? even what he wants?’

People are strange. I ought to know; I am one.

Out of Touch

Have you ever lost track of a friend? My guess is that most people have. Some of the best friends I’ve ever had — or so I thought at the time — have simply disappeared beneath the sea of passing time.

I didn’t try to lose them. We didn’t have any falling out that I was party to, most of them. One day I got up and decided we hadn’t connected in a while and they just weren’t there anymore — phone disconnected, mail returned to sender, email bounced back undeliverable. Was it me? Did I do something?

I’m not so paranoid as to think they went into witness protection just to avoid me. I would rather fault the currents of life that swept us in different directions until we became lost in our own worlds. John Lennon said that, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”.

We’re all leading our own lives — jobs, mortgages, kids, finances…. It can be all too easy to let slip away the people you once thought you would never be without. I can count on the fingers of one hand the friends I still keep from high school. There used to be more — a lot more.

I’m reminded of a quote from Tequila Sunrise, written by Robert Towne: “I don’t know what it is about going to high school with someone that automatically makes you feel like you’re friends for life. Who says? Who says friendship lasts forever? We’d all like it to, maybe. But maybe it just wears out like anything else — like tires. There just so much mileage in them and then you’re riding around on nothing but air.”

I’m sure that’s true sometimes, but I believe the ones who are supposed to be in my life find their way back — or me to them. I sleep better at night trusting that it works that way.