Archive for September 2011
Night
.
.
wandering
farther and farther away
from
that place
of comfort and familiarity
suddenly
it dawns on me
and I realize
I’ve been out all night
.
.
.
Thirty Years
It was thirty years ago today that Cyndie and I were married in a morning outdoor ceremony in a garden on the shore of Lake Minnetonka.
As milestones go, each decade seems to hold particular significance, so this is our third time to realize that phenomenon. Last night I took a little tour through my Life Story item, a journal of sorts, which I share with the members of my online community, Brainstorms. I was looking for images that I recall having posted there.
.
.
.
.
Shocking as it is, there is this one:
It was taken after the wedding, in the moments before we departed for the north shore of Lake Superior on our honeymoon. People have asked me if we were legal age to be married. The good news about that youthful countenance is that it has held true to this day. People continue to assume us to be a lot younger than we are.
We have had an amazing run at this relationship thing. Most dramatic for me was the period when, and since, we sought couples counseling to get past a difficult time. It worked wonders for us.
Now we are on the verge of a whole new aspect for our relationship as Cyndie prepares to move to Boston, while I will remain in Minnesota. We are enjoying looking back over the years and both feel prepared for what the future holds.
It is not the same milestone, but this day is significant for our son, Julian, as well. He was born on this day in the year of our 7th anniversary. It has been special to share the date with him all these years. Happy birthday, Julian!
Constant Change
How many dark and stormy nights does it take before we learn not to step down into the unlit basement? There is something creepy about the way things change while staying the same.
“Everything comes and goes
marked by lovers, and styles of clothes”
from the song “Down To You” on the album, Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell
Something triggered me into thinking about the time period when I was entering the work force after finishing school, 30-some years ago. There is so much that has changed. There are so many things that I don’t remember. But mostly, I feel like I keep doing the same work, over and over again.
It is the same, and it is different. Everything.
Have you ever heard the notion that the experience of deja vu could be the simple result of an imperceptible delay between the two signals arriving to our brain from each of our eyes? It is possible that our mind senses the delay and interprets the second input as already being familiar. The same, but different.
Same problem, different day.
Even the days keep repeating. Maybe we should rename each day of the week so there are no repeats. That would help.
Who gets that job?
Special Delivery
The anniversary presents arrived early! Did I already write about them in Relative Something? You’d think I could do a little back-reading research, but, NOOooooooo! I don’t have time to look backwards. I am already out of time and still haven’t posted today’s brilliance. Maybe part of the reason for that is that I don’t have any true brilliance to toss out today. I just have two new iPad 2’s to get registered and synched. Now Cyndie and I can use FaceTime to communicate, no matter what distance separates us. Say, Boston to Eden Prairie?
It was just Sunday the 11th when I placed the order online for our new toys, taking full advantage of the offer for free shipping. I followed the link for the tracking number and learned that they were shipping directly from China, through Korea. It seemed apropos that the scheduled delivery turned out to be the very day of our anniversary. Yesterday morning, much to my surprise, I was informed that my purchase showed up on the days’ incoming shipments report at work. Another peek at the tracking information showed that they had traveled through Alaska, down to Kansas, and then up to Minnesota, in time to beat the scheduled arrival by 3 business days. How come that never happens when you have to pay for shipping?
All’s Quiet
Comin’ up blank today. No pic, no story, no poem. Empty. That’s all.
It’s not bad or good, it just is. Relative to all the other posts I’ve conjured up, it’s a bit lacking in creativity, but it isn’t the end of the world.
Take pause today and ponder the joy of life’s drama-free moments. I am.
Sweet Memories
I am feeling September in a big way lately. This year, September reminds me of last year’s trip to Portugal. I am enjoying the memories immensely.
Love Song
Recently I have become increasingly aware of when the sounds of a song show up in my head, seemingly out of nowhere (see “earworm“). Oftentimes, it turns out to simply be a result of walking into the boss’s office where there is music playing quietly in the background. I never seem to realize it is even on, distracted by the task at hand. But then, shortly afterward, as I tend to the next thing demanding my attention, I realize I am whistling some song that often happens to be something I would never choose to be whistling.
There have been enough other times, when I have absolutely no idea what could have triggered a particular song, that I have developed an interest in pinpointing the very first moment I become aware that such a song is in my head. It is a research project in its infancy. Don’t expect the results to be published any time soon.
Last night, as I was doing a quick tour down through my iTunes song list, I discovered that, as I passed by the name of each artist, one of their songs immediately appeared in my head. It was freaky. The songs weren’t always an obvious favorite, just an instant association that arrived as my eye caught the name scrolling past.
When I got to Bruce Cockburn, the song that popped into my head was “Live On My Mind” from his CD, “The Charity of Night.” It is a love song.
It’s your eyes I want to see
looking into mine
got you live on my mind
all the time
This month, Cyndie and I are approaching our 30th wedding anniversary. Most of the time, we collaborate on a joint gift for our anniversary. This year, in light of the pending 1,450 miles that will separate our living quarters, we selected a pair of iPad 2’s that will provide convenient visual communication. We ordered them online and are anticipating delivery on the actual day of our anniversary.
I fully expect that it will be her “eyes I want to see” in the year ahead…
It’s Happening
The weekend is over and the date has passed when Cyndie was to give an answer on the job offer she received. There are still some issues to be worked out before a contract is signed, but she has given notice that it is her intent to accept. I will announce the position when it becomes official.
It is official enough for me. On Sunday, she was cleaning out her closet to figure out what goes and what stays. By evening, she was sorting the silverware to find a set to take. The garden has been fully harvested. It feels like she is getting deployed. It is an interesting step in our dream to move us toward living on a small horse farm, but we still envision it as just that: a step toward our dream.
I think I may have more time to write. And, I think I may have less time to write. It isn’t clear what life will be like for me in the house all alone. I’m looking forward to exploring to find out. Obviously, I’ll have a story to tell.
Relative Something 