So That's Life?

When I was a teenager, my parents gave me a stereo one Christmas. It had a turntable, AM/FM radio, separate (stereo!) speakers, and (believe it or not) an 8-track player. How or why they decided on 8-track is beyond me because the only thing we had in the house was cassettes. They included Elton John’s Greatest Hits and, to my amazement, the unit could record and I also got a blank tape. Being at an impressionable age, I somehow managed to record Monty Python’s Live at City Center which very likely explains my sometimes strange sense of humor. There’s nothing like having the “Crunchy Frog” skit on permanent loop to bring out the “best” in teenage wit.

As it turns out, those were the only two tapes I ever owned. Mercifully, the 8-track fad passed into oblivion but the mental imprint of repeatedly listening to those two tapes will be with me forever. Very much like the 10 song playlist in my iPod.

Time has a funny way of clarifying things. As we get older, what once seemed incredibly important now looks absolutely mundane. When I was listening to those tapes, it was very important to learn all the words to the songs and skits. OK, I’ll admit to being guilty as most regarding lyrics in Rocket Man but that didn’t stop me from trying. And, while I still pride myself on being able to recite some of these from memory, the idea of acquiring additions to my repertoire isn’t even on my top-30 list of things to do..

I’d like to blame my situation on the 24×7 news-cycle or the internet but the truth is I think my gray-matter has reached a critical mass. Given the combustible crucible of cultural/religious intolerance of the Middle East, genocidal atrocities in eastern Africa, or racial tensions and moronic national politics in the U.S., there’s just no room for small dreams; especially those that once filled my comfort-zone. So I don’t know about you but in 2012, I’m dreaming bigger even if my dreams are strange.

Every once in a while, I have one of those dreams. Maybe you’ve had it too. It’s the one where I’m having a great time with friends when I suddenly realize that the entire semester has whizzed by and my assignments are overdue. The whole world starts spinning as I frantically try to catch up. I usually wake up when I realize that the first paper is a lost cause.

That’s pretty much how I felt as I started writing this entry. 32 months have passed since my last post and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to catch up! What would I talk about? Could I produce something on a regular basis? Could I continue my theme?

Basically, I took a deep breath and said “screw it”. I write for myself and my dedicated audience (you know who you are) of 5. I’m not going to explain my absence and I’m not going to worry about any continuity. Observations on life can’t be made on a timetable and I don’t work on a deadline… except for holiday shopping, my job, the IRS… damn, I guess do.

If this is the first time you’re reading this blog, I encourage you to take a look at the older posts. And, if that doesn’t discourage you, check back in a day or so for the next one. If you have read my writing before, you can expect more of the same. Either way, I’m “back in the saddle”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VELyaPdotCQ