Kids, it has been noted, say the darnedest things.
Monday night, went up to York, to Mike and Cat's new house, for their New Year's party. First time I'd seen their great, big, spanking new house. First time I'd seen their two and a half year old daughter Rosie since they moved - even then, it had been a few months before that. Last I saw her, she wasn't really talking, but now she's doing sentences.
So I'm looking at my best friend, his lovely and brilliant wife, their beautiful little girl, their nice house...definitely the sort of thing that makes a single guy contemplate his life. Especially this being the first holiday season in several years where I wasn't involved with someone. Not complaining about my life, mind you - just prompted thought about different paths, different choices, trade-offs, freedom versus connection.
Stayed over, had breakfast New Years morning, was hanging out with them, playing with Rosie a little bit. She hands me a play phone. "Call your mommy."
So I go along, open the phone. "Hi Mommy. Happy New Year."
"Call your Daddy," she requests.
"Hi Dad. Happy New Year."
"Call your Rosie."
Uh, ow. Bit of tear in the eye as I recap last night's thoughts about where life has led me, about what might have been. "Well, I don't have a Rosie, sweetie. You're the only Rosie."
So, that was a moment. Poignant to the nth power.
Had a good acupuncture appointment today, now getting lunch at Sara and Desmond's. There's a woman here who's a friend of Emperor Norton, one of Delirium's people, if you catch my drift...schizophrenic or Tourette's or something, saying out loud odd things to no one (or everyone) like "I miss January, it should be on the calendar," or telling another woman walking by, out of the blue, "I went to Hunt Valley." Hail Eris. (I first wrote, somehow, "Hair Eris." Can't argue with that.)
Went down to 2640 later for the art opening, saw Jeff there - also ran into Graham, a old (and hopefully future) karate student of mine. Now at Joe Squared for a beer and some writing work.
I get into a discussion with the guy next to me about what I'm writing, I try to explain the whole Zen Paganism thing, end up in long discussion with him and with the next guy down about neopaganism, Buddhism, Quakers, yoga, class in American socio-economy, and other topics.