Vacation Reaction

The northeastern region of the United States possesses, on one hand, a myth, created by culture and entertainment, which boasts of unparalleled energy and excitement, and on the other, a stigma of detachment and loneliness, unfortunately, also unparalleled. Having visited the area on several occasions, I have experienced and felt the accompanying emotions of these two extremes.

It becomes easy to focus on the vastness and speed of living that we pass by the very people that have been specifically and carefully chosen to clutter up our path. And like clutter, it may seem easier to sweep it all under the rug and pretend it's not there, which certainly has become the norm, but here and there I begin to think that there might be something to be found in the careful process of addressing our clutter...

"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you say it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealing with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal."
C.S. Lewis
The Weight of Glory

Excuse...

It's very strange that of all the times in life not to be actively writing, these last few months have been void of it all. My usual habit of writing much and only posting minimally is not even the case. It's strange. I have so much to say. I think the barrier between what is traveling around my mind over and over and a piece of paper or a blog post is the delicacy of the topic.

On a few isolated occasions I've thrown caution to the wind and let myself go, but not in a public setting like the world wide web. So I'll dance around the topic without diving in too deep:

I'm happy about life right now. Not everybody is feeling that right now, and I just now realized that it's nice to be where I am... and it's nice to know it before it's time to start another climb. Life is not made to be bland and forgettable. It's good to live a life that's been blessed with extravagant and bold seasonings. Sometimes it's more dramatic and stressful than it is sweet, and that's a blessing. And to have your sweet-tooth satisfied is also a blessing. And that's where I am right now...

I've got this cute little lady that let's me take her out to eat when our free time happens to be at the same time. She says thank you when I pay for her meal. She likes foods that I don't even understand. Tofu. Strange vegetables. Organic hybrid plants. I try a bite and discover that my intuitions regarding foods I wont like are mostly accurate. But I like that she likes different things. I order foods that I know about. Pasta with chicken. Anything from the breakfast menu. Basics. Good food that I've heard of. I'm not very adventurous when it comes to food.

She adds flavor to my life. I am thankful for that. She is a blessing. She is beautiful. I wish I told her that more often.

...

There are times in life when I can't find purpose or a foothold or a break... and there are times when I'm constantly aware of the warmth of God's presence... and that in both I am secure in His hands.