... is a line in one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands, Incubus. Not some great line of brilliance at all but a line I was reminded of none the less just a little while ago when my cell phone rang out it's tune in Vivaldi. I was surprised when I answered the phone and it was Matt Pape. Not McCutheon the persona but Matt the person. There is a distinction as I have been reminded on occasion. Matt was sitting in Central Park on the upper west side drinking from a bottle of white wine and marveling how brilliant the sky above New York looked right about then. I said hello and he remarked "I wish you were here" in reference to said sky and the lazy sort of morning that accompanied it. I had to pull over to the side of the road as it's damn difficult talking on a cell phone and driving a 5 speed at the same time down a little country road that requires shifting every 2 minutes. I sat in the parking lot of this little Methodist church and chatted with a happy Matt for about 45 mintues before moving down the road for lunch before heading back to work.
Life does throw you curve balls. For me it often has happened in the way that I've met my closest friends. They're all so spread out ... some in the military ... some having taken jobs in other states. We're so different that I've often marveled at how well we get along for the most part. Differences do help you connect but I also think that friends often have some inate part of their beings that is alike. Something that makes them click. In my case, I think it's the yearning for life to be more. Not normal. Not the same. Soaking things up. Never stopping the absorption of knowledge. Always wanting to see, do, and experience more. Wouldn't it be boring any other way?
But I digress ... Could you meet such a friend on a little message board that you found months and months ago when doing a search on the Greenbay Packers? Hmmm ...why not.
"I wish you were here ..."
PS
Matt just rang up and is in the process of stumbling home via 5th Avenue and has about 40 blocks to go. He didn't have enough dollars on him to get a cab. I offered to wire it to him but he wouldn't let me. Ah well, he seemed quite amused with himself and was saying hello to people on the street as he went. What a life, man.
That's cool. you can e-mail me here: myke@mezzanine.nu