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Placidity Interrupted Today's third entry actually deals with yesterday. I will not raise an umbrella against the snow. I simply cannot bring myself to do it. I brought an umbrella to work in anticipation of the predicted rain and nastiness, but as I left work, I stepped out into a swirl of snow, which pleasantly decorated me dressed as the uber-prep in my navy blue trousers, white dress shirt, blue argyle wool sweater, brown corduroy blazer, blue plaid scarf and dark brown shoes. And why yes, I did check myself out in my reflection as I strode past storefront windows, taking my usual slightly-too-long-for-everyone-else's-comfort strides (JJ was right; I do have rather long legs) at a slightly faster than confident pace. No matter how many times it may snow in a year, no matter how tired of it I may claim to be as it begins to melt, I never cease to be filled with nearly tear-jerking joy and wonder at the beauty of legions of tiny white flakes of ice turning the very air grey as they blow down from the heavens. The world becomes more beautiful, and for a moment, I forget the horror I was experiencing just the other day and am filled with wonderful wishes for everyone on this little satellite. It almost invariably kicks me into thankful prayer mode. Really, I do have so much for which to be thankful, and I don't observe it often enough. I have my health; despite my bad habits and unlike at certain times in my life, I'm able to breathe freely and get around easily. I've a wonderful and really pretty functional family, whom I love, and who return the love I send them more than three-fold. I have friends whose company I enjoy and who enjoy mine and care about me enough to inquire after me when I've disappeared for awhile, as I occasionally do and have done of late. I have not only a roof over my head, but what some would consider a palatial and luxurious dwelling. I have a wonderful job, working with and for people of whom I am, by and large, quite fond, which pays for the dwelling, and further, pays to keep me fed, clothed and pretty well entertained. What more could I possibly need? (Well, if I'm putting in an order, I'll take more of the same, via fame and fortune, please...Yes, I am thankful, but I am, of course, never quite satisfied.) And there are such blessings I wish on others, as well. Too many to mention here, really. And mostly, they all fall under that "more of the same" category. Lately, I think often of children, and those with new ones. There are some folks in my office who've recently become parents, and having managed, finally, to read all of Mr. Traumatease's entries, I see that he's among the new parents on the planet, and I cannot help but send a prayer up for those beginning that journey. (Of course, when I added him to my favourites list with the comment, "Dude is my super-hero," I'd only read one or two entries, though I was most impressed with the first one I read, about the day he met Melville and the ensuing events. He reminds me a lot of me if I were more straight and less afraid of the world, I guess. Or maybe it's not the world I'm so much afraid of -- I seem to stride confidently enough through it; maybe I'm more afraid of myself, as I believe a friend once suggested. In any case, I'll bet he'll make one of the coolest Dads on the planet, and I rejoice that he'll get to be that kind of influence in someone's life. We need more like that one, methinks.) Flash-forward to today. I've just gotten off of my voicemail two very strange messages from Adrienne (producing artistic director of theatre in southern Maine where I used to work and friend) who's on her way to Natick for a round of auditions. I hope I wasn't supposed to be there this weekend. I have my commitment to play for her auditions scheduled for later this month in New York, and I thought her musical director was going to these. I guess I'll wait a couple hours 'til I think she's checked into her hotel room and call to see what's up. Driving to Massachusetts was decidedly not on my list of plans for this weekend, but one does what one has to do. (What am I thinking?! I've committed myself to going out with Chip and his friends tomorrow night, and it would REALLY suck if I cancelled.) I hate these dilemmas. So much for the peaceful and profound... r
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