The Joy of Drowning

 

Guess who's back? (no, that doesn't capture it)

 

"Don't call it a comeback!", love's been here for years...a calm, violent, majestic, raging sea luring sailors, surfers and star-gazers alike.  And here I stand, at the edge of the bow, diving straight into this unknown, no gear, holding my love's tiny hand the whole way down because the ironic thing is, we are told that as long as we don't let go of each other, the breathing is easier down here.

 

WHAT'S BEEN ON MY MIND

I have to say, underwater for only a minute, and I got to say that the rumors are right.  Marriage feels good.  Just got back from our honeymoon.  5 days Orlando, 6 days Jamaica.  Renee finally braved and enjoyed some roller coasters. I let go of the reigns of Train of Thought and trusted my folks to do what they do for two weeks.  All went well.  

I have learned...

I didn't understand Patois as much as I thought...

Jamaican's are serious about getting tipped...

They play top 40 club hits in the castle-like foyer of Medieval Times (which ruins the effect they spent the last 2 hrs building)...

A 50 yr old white man who looks and is balding just like Jack Nicholson braided the last remaining strands of hair on the back of his head with colorful beads so he could fit in with the jamaicans is OFFICIALLY the funniest thing I have seen in the world so far.  I whispered to Renee "that's how little black girls wear their hair!"

I don't know how this is translating in text but I was crying on our bus.  Renee had more tact.  Imagine, no hair on top, blond braids with colorful beads melodically tapping each other all around the side.  Now if he did it for comedic purposes I think he is a genius and only him and I share this particular strand of extreme hilariousness.  And for that I am grateful.

 

 

WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON

Whenever I go to a different culture the most important thing to me is to learn the temperature of the people.  What moves them? How are they different? More important, what strand of culture or human experience connects us?  On the islands I saw men in their 50's and 60's doing construction, long grey beards and dreads, keeping in pace with their younger counterparts. Lucky for them Burger Kings are expensive and miles apart from each other.  At the same time around our all-inclusive resort, Americans laying and eating, eating and laying.  One woman was not only in a electronic chair, but had to be strapped in.  I was/am no different.  We worked out, made sure I had a lot of fruit and veggies on the plate, but it was after serious looks from my health/fitness fanatic of a wife.  I actually think she made it start to cloud up and drizzle on me when I had too many pieces of fried fish.  I laugh about it now, but that look wasn't funny when I wanted that fish.  She goes easy on me, and I try harder for her.  But it just hits me how much I try to hold onto my old conditioning when it really doesn't serve me well.  It's pretty obvious with food.  But I also wonder how that translates into other things I keep doing that I know won't serve my greater good?

 

THE CHALLENGE

Pick one habit that you want to correct.  Choose one person you see a lot and trust with your heart and tell them to ask you periodically (and kindly) about how it's going.  You don't need any more advice or opinions (that can be annoying, everyone's an expert if you ask them), just find someone to be a sounding board if you feel like speaking about it.  If you don't feel like talking about it, then you have the right not to.  I honestly believe we all know what to do to change what it is we want to.  We just need someone who cares about us to remind us that we want to change.  I married my inspiration.  You don't have to go that far, but it's not a bad way to go.

 

As always, I write these things to challenge me and share them with you.  I am in no way an expert at anything, just a man who knows what works for him, reminding himself what's really important.

 

Until then, be now

GILL