We laughed a lot when we had lunch together Saturday for the first time in 35 years. A lot and deeply. Didn’t talk about anything serious. Just swapped memories — and laughed.
“Back of the sun and way deep under our feet, at the earth’s center, are not a couple of noble mysteries but a couple of joke books.”
That little piece of wisdom is from Tennessee Williams.
And, I like it.
Today, while I was making my way to the south end of the pool with a rather unorthodox kick but an entirely on-the-money pull, a man entered the pool area from the locker room wearing very long blue — for lack of a better term — swimming shorts. He was walking with what looked like the gait of a person with cerebal palsy — a little wobbly and constricted, like it must hurt to move.
It took me as much time to swim two lengths of breaststroke as it took him to walk the length of the pool. As I was approaching the north end of the pool, he was making a move to sit on the bleachers. I turned my head to the side and told him he could share my lane; the lanes are, after all, big enough for two. He gave me a glorious smile and said, “Thanks, but I’m waiting for Christy to help me.”
I really liked his smile, and after thinking of my friend Todd, whose cerebal palsy is much more severe, I thought of how nice it is to be the recipient of such a lovely gift.
What rain does to the bark of a tree makes me think living in a very dry climate would be too much to ask. Those tree trunks standing there with no clothes on in the rain make me smile, quite simply.
If you like rain, too, and other manifestations of nature, you might enjoy Clyde’s blog. He loves the outdoors — and he’s pretty entertaining.
Oatis Communications 