I was on my way out the door an hour ago… on my way to a quickly arranged lunch date with my wife. (See also, “The Monday After“, in yesterday’s postings)
On my way out of the shop, I passed through Midtown Plaza, since I park under Midtown. 
While doing so, I happend to hear a song on the store speakers; Oddly, it was one I’d been playing at my own desk’s MP3 player just prior to leaving… Weather Report’s “Birdland”, off the “Heavy Weather” album. I know the album well, having owned it for years and having played it on the air several times when I was doing jazz radio, years ago.
All this led me to the thought; You know you’re in serious trouble with age, when music you grew up with gets moved into the area of Muzak. This is particularly true when the music is considered cutting edge jazz for the day. (sigh)
Good Lord!! Have things moved on that much? At what point did I lose track of the process? You could hear my bones creaking and groaning as I walked down to my truck.
I met my wife at home, and we had a nice lunch together… (Chinese)… It’s good to remind yourself why you’re working, once in a while. We gave each other a hug, and started back toward work, each in our own vehicle… me in Bit’s Box, and her in her Escape.
Some time ago, I wrote in these spaces about Niagara Falls, which is about 70 miles west of here. The Falls has, over the years, taken on the quality of an old freind for us; We who know all it’s secrets don’t conisder it a real vacation spot for us… it’s more like a day trip, if we bother going at all. I wrote at the time that the real kick for me these last number of years when going there for a day, was the way strangers, particularly people who have never seen the the area before, react to the sights and sounds of the Falls and all that it is, there. Often, it’s in the eyes of strangers or the young, that well-known things take on a newness, a freshness, that have long been… welllll… ordinary. Some people report Christmas is like that, too, for them… and looking at it through the eyes of children is their way of refreshing their point of view.
I had a similar experience with my wife today.
Leaving home following lunch, we both needed gas, and so went to the local gas station on our way out to the freeway. After that we’d go seperate ways, given we each work on opposite ends of town. While standing there pumping gas, each in our own lane, I noted the guy with the pickup in front of me checking my beautiful wife out as she took care of her fuel, next island over. She, of course, never noticed it, but I did. He had no way of knowing who she was, or who I was for that matter. Had he known who I was, I doubt he’d have done it. As it was, I let him look, and kept my thoughts and comments to myself.
Sometimes though the eyes of strangers…
I glanced over and it came to me…. Yep; that’s a pretty girl, all right.
Of course, she would think I was a liar was I to tell her of it. (Shrug) In any event, it was a reminder that perhaps I’m not doing so badly after all. No doubt about it… I got lucky with this girl.
Apparently, I was more right than I knew, yesterday; It’s those stolen moments that make it worthwhile for us.
Tags: BitsBlog
