“I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is’” (Vonnegut)

With so much anger and divisiveness and outright mean-heartedness smogging up our national and world atmosphere, I have practically given up on the news media. Maybe a paper at breakfast or lunch (I still find it hard to eat without a newspaper…)and at least with a paper I can turn the page quickly when my blood pressure reaches the boiling point, rather than searching for the remote and channel surfing on T.V. for something non-idiotic. If you are mining the internet for your news, I urge you at the very least to ignore the “comments” sections where ignorance and bitterness reign. It only shows how ugly people can be if they can hide behind anonymity.

But in the spirit of Kurt Vonnegut’s quote, I would like to go on record as saying how truly nice the last few weeks have been. This last week, I had breakfast with someone whom I have come to care deeply for over this past year. We don’t see each other as frequently these days so it was a treat to visit, to feast my eyes on her, and just to be in her company for a little while. The rest of the week found me being with good friends well into the evenings, with plenty of stories and laughter. It was “nice.” I made several phone calls to family this week. This summer, I’ve been spending more time with my cousin and my niece here in town who have been a real blessing to me.

Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a loner and always have been. From early childhood on, I spent hours by myself dreaming up whole scenarios to fill my world. Why, I once created an entire seven-game World Series in my head while bouncing a tennis ball off the back steps and catching it. (I, of course, was the Cy Young-winning pitcher.) It takes a long time for people to notice me sitting in the corner and decide to make the effort to get to know me. There have been several marvelous times in my life when the pieces seemed to come together, surrounded by dear people, and life seemed to be suspended in an amber specialness. These days seem to be approaching that. I’m quite comfortable in my new “hideout”, and I’ve been re-arranging my schedule to maximize free time. Hopefully that time will be used for writing, but that’s what we all say.

“When I reach these wonderful areas of rest, I think of you and wish we were draining goblets together again.” --------Li Po


“I wish, I wish, I wish in vain,
That we could sit simply in that room again.
A thousand dollars at the drop of a hat,
I’d give it all gladly, if my life could be like that.”
--------Bob Dylan


Of course, times like these are by their very nature fleeting, and nostalgia makes times seem better than they were. Yesterday and today, my anxieties and “blues” have returned, along with the circular rain patterns here in town, and maybe the fall weather will sabotage the good times. But, as Vonnegut suggests, it is worth noting when they’re here. And if that’s not nice, I don’t know what is.