Home Again

The following is an excerpt from an email to a friend earlier this evening:

"I might feel differently at another time, but right now...yes, I would say being 30 does feel different. You start looking back and seeing that you've been around 30 years - all of that went by in a blink...and if you're lucky, you've got about another 30 left before you're into what soccer buffs might think of as "injury time." It's sobering....and terrifying and seems impossible...but the only way to deal with it is to accept it and move forward. Charge ahead into the teeth of the enemy, letting your war-cry erupt from the depths of your soul, never looking back with a timid eye, but only to recognize where you have been...may the battle be long and glorious and end with a brilliance that blinds the sun itself."

Why do I share that here? Who knows...maybe it just felt like a complete musing and one that needed to be shared. Like a tune that cannot be held inside and must be allowed to pollenate new ears. (oooh, another complete musing...)

My journey to Chicago was fantastic. I cannot wait to return. Being back in a big city for an extended time reminded me of how despite the big bad world's dangers, it holds a lot of exciting, interesting, and necessary experiences for the human soul. When you've been in one place for a long time - a place that is comfortable and safe and familiar - you can forget how pleasing and fulfilling the outside world can be.

While I was away my tomato plants (which were but mere little protrusions from the dirt when I left) underwent a significant transformation into green, stretching, vibrant bio-high-rises. They even have little corner bars that friends gather at and a Treasure Island grocery store on every other block. Naturally, parking is a gigantic nuisance. I saw two bees and a catepillar get towed within 5 minutes this morning.

There are a large number of green tomatoes on the vines, however none have yet ripened. I'm already growing wary of the blight that destroyed last year's crop by the middle of July. And today i encountered the first dreaded hornworm of the season. I tried pulling him off of the leaf he was munching on (while laughing at me), but he refused to let go. So, I employed a new method of eviction -- the classic finger-flick. With one swift flick of my middle finger the green, leaf-gobbler set sail through the air, off the porch and landed somewhere on the rocks below. Unfortunately, I'm sure his friends will not be deterred.

While in Chicago, my dearest sweetheart successfully made me a full-fledged fan of two shows that I previously did not watch (or watched very rarely): How I Met Your Mother and South Park. I've seen my fair share of South Park over the years, but never really watched it regularly. Now I can't get enough. Butters is a hilarious little character! And the episode where the kids rescue the killer whale literally made me cry with laughter. How I Met Your Mother has sort of made me feel better about turning 30. All those characters are in their 30s and still seem to have long lives ahead of them. Maybe 30 really is the new 20/25. I'm serious. People are living longer and, at least in our culture, people are maturing (mentally - not physically) more slowly. You disagree? Look back at generations from the World Wars and compare how mature and responsible they were compared to our current generations of increasing self-absorption, blaming everyone else, unnecessary litigation, MTV, etc, etc, etc....do I really have to have this argument with you kids right now? Anyway...they're both great shows and just like Family Guy two years ago and The Office this past year, they will likely be my flagship shows in the coming year. Expect me to quote them and reference them at annoying levels.

Anybody have winning lottery numbers for me? How about someone who wants to be my rich benefactor? Seriously. Maybe a transport plane with a malfunctioning back door will fly overhead and accidentally drop a load of gold coins onto the front yard....

Okay, that's all for now, folks. May you all have pleasant lives until you hear from me again...and may you next hear from me when I'm in Chicago...