• A better kind of blue

    I’m happy to report the blue post is still on the back-burner. The weekend was just too good. Well, it wasn’t great. It wasn’t even very good. But you know what? Every day doesn’t have to be great. They can’t, not for me anyway. I grade days on a curve. Folks cringe when I say I’m ok, but that’s the meat of my curve. What’s wrong with ok? I’ll bet there are lot of folks who would give their left pinkie (assuming they’re right handed) for an ok day. So my weekend wasn’t great? Good is more than ok in my book.

    It was one of those weekends where the blue skies complimented my mood, rather than mocking me. Beth got a ton of homework done (Imperial, not metric) without complaint. Adam muddled through extended periods without his best friend (Beth), with some help from Cheryl – who incidentally is getting pretty good at Lego Batman on the Wii. (Although she can’t play very long due to her injuries.) I got in a good hike to one of the nearby parks with the kids, and the weather was fantastic.

    We were walking home yesterday afternoon and a deep blue, late afternoon eastern sky was staring back at me. The beginnings of a slight chill put a bounce in my step, born equally from ugency and thrill.

    There wasn’t anything exceptional about it. It was just good, and that was more than enough.

  • Yesterday and today

    I was going to write some terrible, self-pitying garbage this afternoon. I was really close after the nice lady with the “Jesus is the answer!” bumper sticker cut me off in traffic. Dude! Smiting is so old testiment!

    Instead I’m going to talk about this exited feeling I can’t seem to shake..

    One of my coworkers was back from her trip today and had some awesome pictures to share. I don’t mean the surfer-dude or big-hair-80s kind of awesome.

    I mean to go dictionary on your ass. I mean to say the pictures inspired awe.

    Take away the context and they were just pictures of a man at a podium. But we talked about her trip and what they represented – both historically and to the person who took them. We talked about the incredible experience she had. She was there yesterday. She was with thousands of other people filled with their own desire to celebrate and experience it. Maybe they also had a weary nation’s proxy to laugh, cheer, and shed tears.

    Not that we weren’t doing our own at home, at work, or wherever we could watch.

    Seeing it on television, reading other people’s reactions, talking to people I know who were there – sharing our feelings, our convictions, our resolve; it makes it seem more real, more precious. It makes this excited feeling stick around a little longer.

    The personal crap (the self pity I mentioned before) can wait a while.

    obama_s.jpg


    A picture a coworker took at an event a few days before the big day.

  • More than good enough

    Around mid-day today I sat alone in my cubicle. With the aid of a carefully placed set of rabbit ears, EyeTV, and my trusty PowerBook, I watched the 44th President take the oath of office and give the world his first official address as President of the United States.

    At first it felt like it could have been better. I could have been around those I love. I could have been sharing this moment in history in the company of those who appretiate it as much as I do.

    Then I imagined Cheryl sitting at home. I saw a tweet or two from my cousin. I thought about some of you – some of whom I’ve traded quick messages. I thought about that crowd, and the address sunk in. I felt optimistic. I felt empowered.

    We all made this happen. We’ll keep making it happen.

    I don’t feel alone anymore.

    It’s a great day.