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How to be Your Own New Day
I have a free day sandwiched between two workdays. This I am not used to having.
So, how do I spend a free day sandwiched between two workdays?
There’s no itinerary, so things just approach me at random.
What comes to mind? Well, there are things I Iove, such as Dylan Thomas’ “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” the most profoundly beautiful Christmas story in the English language.
There is Dave Brubeck performing with full symphonic accompaniment, “Blue Rondo ala Turk.” Music can’t get much better than this. There is even Booker T. and the MGs’ “Green Onions,” just about the coolest teenage cruising tune you can imagine. And “It’s Not Easy Being Green” performed by Ray Charles and Kermit brings a tear and a smile.
Memories of watching the starry skies within my childhood room, a result of my beautiful Christmas present, a genuine planetarium, is the best feeling ever. Sharing grins with Liz across a freshly prepared dinner of salmon and greens is right on target.
Sadly remembering special people who left us during the year brings special meaning to this lovely meal, this lovely evening. And noting the lonely walkers of the damp city nighttime streets helps focus attention beyond myself.
Watching and appreciating the brilliant gleam in the eyes of a little girl who is clutching tight to her chest the perfect book she just selected from the shop’s trove of Smurf books, is my meditative recreation from yesterday.
The Modern Jazz Quartet’s rendering of “England’s Carol” is ever locked in memories fond and fun. Reading Valentine Davies’ “Miracle on 34th Street” is a yearly ritual that magnetizes childhood to my electric imagination. Reading P.G. Wodehouse, watching Jerry Seinfeld interview President Obama, seeing Liz glued to her chair during the Tide/Michigan State game, missing everybody who ever loved me and left me, loving everybody who cares about me right now, appreciating people who love me unconditionally…these things cannot be denigrated or diminished. They remain with me hopefully all my days.
And one special thing means all the world to me:
The privilege of writing all this down, recording it for posterity, leaving behind bits of reminiscences that might bring moments of comfort to some future reader in need of a bit of goodwill or easy familiarity…
That helps keep me going. Here’s hoping that you, too, find something equally worth doing on your unexpected day off
© Jim Reed 2016 A.D.
http://www.jimreedbooks.com/podcast