A friend that I have known since 1978 texted me out of the blue yesterday, asking if I was okay. She said that I have been talking about death and heaven more than I usually do. She was worried and wondered if I was sick.
First off, that’s the sign of a strong friendship...someone paying enough attention to notice when your tone shifts.
Second, no, I am not sick. It has been a while since I rolled around in the hay and I just need to grapple some hip hop thighs. Or maybe I just need a vacation and a couple days away from the grid.
I am destined to bury most of the people that I care about as penance for the dumbshit things that I have done since the summer of ’66. So we can rule out any illness.
Last night I stumbled on this old Chinese proverb and yeah, I’d rather call it an Oriental proverb, because to me it feels more traditional, less political. The Orient had a way of boiling truth down to a clean sentence.
This one says: Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still.
Translation?
Growth doesn’t need to be a sprint. It is the small, steady steps that stack into something solid. Keep moving forward, even if it’s at a crawl. Stagnation is the real enemy and if your journey happens to stroll past a tavern with an Old Style sign swinging out front, or a hot dog stand that steams the buns...
... well, that is just part of building character.
Today is National Vinyl Record Day. I don’t remember the last time I played baseball with the neighborhood kids or who was the priest the last time that I served mass or who tackled me in that last game of smear the queer...
... But I do remember Val selling me my last vinyl in 1986. It was Play Deep by The Outfield, singing about Josie and her vacation far away. Val told me it was shallow and I should stick to Talking Heads and R.E.M..
Maybe she was right, but I played it anyway.
So take your time today. Use your turn signal. Don’t watch the water boil and remember...
... even slow motion is still motion.
