Little Pink Book

As I was cleaning out a couple of drawers this morning, I found an old phone book from about 25 years ago.  In that little pink book were the names I haven't thought of in probably that same amount of time, and there were also several people listed that I have no recollection of ever knowing. No doubt I did know them at some point, but hard pressed to remember their faces. There were also stores listed that no longer exist, but those were the days of shopping for wants not needs.

Unfortunately, there were also names of too many people who aren't alive anymore. Family members and friends from school, work and other places and times in my life. Some died young and others lived very full lives. A bit shocking to see so many in one little pink book. I was grateful for the unexpected time to think about them again and enjoyed immersing myself in the 80s and 90s.

But the best part of finding this relic was how many friends in that little pink book are still in my life, albeit most with new and many more phone numbers. Some have been constant fixtures and others have had extended breaks...but all can be called friends.  Having friendship's with history, whether it's 5 years or 25 years, is to be treasured.

As I read each page for more memories, I couldn't help but giggle at the neatly written entries. My handwriting since the computer has been anything but legible. In years to come, with all contacts safely stored in our computers, people won't have the opportunity to find a little pink book while cleaning out a drawer...that's unfortunate since it made cleaning out the drawer this morning a little more fun.

Flight Tracker

10 years ago when Zach was six years old and asked to take a Mandarin after school class, I never thought that I'd be here now watching flight tracker. He and a group of kids from school are on their way to Beijing for two weeks. 14 hours on a plane...13 hour time difference...half way around the world.

It's hard having Zach this far away, but this is the next step. He can go to China and see Tiananmen Square, walk on the Great Wall, become more fluent, teach English to younger students at a school, and eat scorpions. What he is really doing though is building memories, learning about life, testing himself, and becoming independent.

We raise them to be part of the world and then go out into it and make a difference. I trust Zach in the world...it just feels a little hard trusting today's world with my son.

我爱你

Bucket List

Typically you associate a bucket list with someone who is dying, whether from cancer like Jack Nicholson's character in the movie of the same name, or 16 year old Alice who writes the blog Alice's Bucket List. Young or old, the common thread is that it's about completing a list of special or longed for experiences in a certain amount of time.

So what if the impetus is not a sad reason....but 4 years of college ? I only have 2.5 years before Zach leaves and it's not that I think there wont be time for trips and other experiences once he goes, but our time together will be different. My first thought about the next couple of years is what life lessons can I cram into his head? And then I thought it would be more meaningful for us to create a bucket list together. Somehow the bucket list also seems a little more fun right now.

2.5 years is a good amount of time to plan a road trip to California, learn how to play the piano, get a tattoo (that's mine, not Zach's), see Cold Play in concert, volunteer time with children, meet Paul McCartney, sky dive (that's Zach's, not mine), take the summer off and live at the beach, and more to be added.

Oh, and since one of the top items on the list is spending time in Italy, I'm renaming our bucket list...we now have un secchio elenco! What's on yours?

Mikell's

Think about New York in the early 80s. Conjures up all sorts of memories, doesn't it? It was a pretty amazing time to be in your 20s. New York was still reeling from...54, Mudd Club and a whole bunch of other dance clubs. I don't remember when I stopped going, but at some point they were replaced with small clubs.

I spent a lot of time at a place on 97th and Columbus. Mikell's wasn't a big place, but it was a corner oasis. It had a big sound and left a strong impression on me. I made a few friends there, saw a lot of people perform there, and haven't thought about Mikell's since it closed in the early 90s. Not until this past weekend.

One of the strongest memories I have is the first time I heard a mother-daughter act sing Me and You Against the World and was blown away...goose bumps, tears and all. I remember hearing this song so many times after and always wondered how the daughter would eventually go on without the mom...and never thought it would be the other way around. Never.

hopeful

Half empty or half full? I'm a half full kind of person and prefer to see the best in a situation or person. I think that's why I like a new year. It's a time that most people feel positive about starting fresh.

Oddly, it was a bit hard when I thought about 2012 beginning. Between feeling need for personal change and the looming presidential election, this new year seemed filled with more uncertainty than past years. What's interesting is sitting here a little over a month into the year and I'm already feeling differently about what's coming. I'm feeling more settled and focused than I was during most of 2011, and I'm enjoying more of where I'm spending my time now.

As for the election, well, it's a bit like watching children fight. Not Obama since he hasn't fully stepped in yet, but each Republican candidate. And even though we're down to 4, I'm worried about all the negativity being promoted so far. I fear this election will be dirty and dangerous. Between Adelson and Trump and a few other monied or vocal people, it feels like posturing and throwing their weight around and unfortunately, not about the better candidate winning.

Many things need to change in this city, the country, the world, and right now there are too many voices making noise and not enough solutions being heard. Obama, I'm counting on you in your second term to find those solutions and be as noisy as possible.