I was close enough to hear her tell Johnny that he knew her look.
He smiled, said earrings, necklace, red lipstick and legs that can wrap around a man more than once.
I am not sure he intended for me to hear that so I tried to keep a straight face but I saw her face turn red but noticed a broad smile and figured she even if she was embarrassed she was pleased.
Had to be better than seething or sad and I made a mental note to talk to Brother Pablo about this. The same Brother Pablo who had asked me if I knew what it was like to wrap my hands in long black hair.
“Brother Pablo I know many things and stories that cannot be appreciated or understood unless you have been in particular and specific situations. Some rivers run silent but deep and some fires burn eternal and there are those who choke without their air.”
Brother Pablo toasted me and asked how long I have known about the fire.
“Eighteen years for certain, but I suspect I have known or suspected my entire life.”
Parents write about the challenges of parenting during a pandemic and I nod my head because I understand this is a different time.
My teenagers have handled it relatively well and rolled with the changes even though they may not like them much.
Sometimes I think their age helps because they get it in a different way than young children. They can follow the language and talk about it and appreciate the significance.
Neither of them expects this to be forever but they wonder how long it will be for and have expressed concern about whether parents who are in their fifties might be higher risk, especially me.
Some of my friends have younger kids who are really wrestling with the stress and having trouble sleeping.
There are moments where it has impacted my sleep for certain. My dreams are vivid and wild at times and occasionally I wake up wondering whose bed I am in and where.
It never makes me nervous but it does make me feel a little bit like I am having out of body experiences at night.
This is a different kind of dance but one I am ready for because all my life has built towards the crossroads that approach.
Yesterday morning Facebook sent me an email asking if I was trying to reset my password and a note saying if I wasn’t it was time to conduct a security check.
Since I hadn’t I made a point to tell them no and to run a quick check per their recommendations. Things looked ok and I figured it was either a mistake or the hacker would find someone else.
I stopped work at 9:30, grabbed a couple of hard boiled eggs and sat down at my dining room table for a quick break and breakfast.
Flipped open my personal laptop and noticed a note from Facebook asking if I was trying to sign in from Korea.
I said no and changed my passwords and silently said ship seki in Korean, thanking my old high school buddy Eric Wang for helping to teach me how to curse in a few more languages.
On a side note I always wondered if Eric was pulling my leg because he wasn’t Korean so I made a point to confirm that he wasn’t with a friend who is Korean.
When I got the thumbs up I filed the word away for a time when it might be useful.
****
Last night I got word via Facebook that a guy I only knew from FB had a heart attack and died.
I can’t say I knew him well because most of our engagement took place online but three things jumped out.
1) He disliked the grifter in the WH as much as I do so sometimes we found ourselves fighting the good fight together against those who support the side of darkness and duplicity.
2) We probably knew 50 people in common. His name is/was familiar but relatively common so I wouldn’t be surprised if we did or didn’t know meet in real life.
3) He was a contemporary and as I understand it this was unexpected. Another reminder that life is short.
Brother Pablo and I deep in a conversation about life, men, women and friends.
He asks me what my intentions are and I smile and say “worth following.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah and I think events are proving my luck is turning.”
“Are you saying you might get lucky?”
“Not might. I will but primarily because I make my own luck. Find your pack and hold on Brother Pablo.”
We laugh, toast each other and stare at a million stars in the sky.
