The week begins at the end
From Sunday to Saturday there has been monkeys on my back juggling major to minor challenges and constantly hitting me on the head and chattering in both ears. The noise ranges anywhere from what are you going to do about your mother to how are you going to pay your mortgage if you lose your job to Wolfie.
The times they are uncertain, annoyingly so, and just when you think you got it all under control, fwap, they pull a rug out from under your left foot then your right foot and your dancing so fast you don’t remember what the music is anymore.
That has been the week.
From what to do about Wolfie, who we love, but whose appearance in the house has made normal daily routine more everything. To contemplating a baby – the biggest disruptor of a life and couple – and routine. To the state of the union.
I read somewhere that New Orleans’ unemployment is half of what the nation’s is. Know why? There are no jobs here to begin with.
Okay so like I said the week begins at the end. Today I had the first breath of space in my mind. Just mindlessly having to go from Home Depot to Loews to another Loews and finally starving, I went into a place and sat down and ate a salad and watched the chaos of the dining room – small babies, young kids, old people – everyone just going about their lives with nonstop chatter, and eating, and drinking.
Later, I was sitting in traffic and looked up and on a balcony a man stood drinking Coca Cola from a can and smoking a cigarette.
The day was gorgeous – beautifully sunny and cool – a spectacular day.
Next door, my neighbor was making grits and grillades and the whole neighborhood smelled the goodness. We are preparing for his annual party for the Mardi Gras Marathon that passes in front of our houses. This year we get mile 23, we used to get mile 10 – makes a big difference. The 23 mile runners don’t have near the sense of humor that the half marathoners do.
Now to make today last forever.