Columbus, OH –
“Do you play?”
It was a valid question.
After all, I had just walked into his shop, looked around at the various Ouds that he had on display, ignoring the rest of his merchandise, pointed to the one he had hanging in the entryway, and asked if I could take a closer look at it.
Not exactly a typical tourist, looking for a souvenir to take home.
See, it was my last day in Amman, the capital of Jordan.
I would be flying home the next day.
Dallas, TX –
It seems I’ve reached that age…
What age would that be?
The age where it seems that about every other week, yet another one of the musicians who contributed to my teenage soundtrack dies.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s always been members of that fraternity who’ve died, even during my teenage years.
But back then, most of them were due to their lifestyle.
Drug overdoses and plane crashes.
Oh, and the occasional gunshot wound.
Dallas, TX –
Guilty pleasures, we’ve all got them.
Maybe its watching trashy, so-called “reality” shows on television.
Maybe it’s pigging out on Cheetos using chopsticks so that the telltale orange powder doesn’t coat your fingers like gloves.
Maybe its following click-bait links to discover what might be revealed in the “shocking” historical photos they promise to reveal.
Whatever your guilty pleasure might be, you’ve got one, and you may or may not keep it hidden from others.
Wait, I take that back. You’re more likely broadcasting it on Facebook than hiding it from others.
For a moment, I forgot what age we’re living in.
The age of advertising our every thought in hopes of finding others who think the same way.
Or at least will “like” what we’ve thought.
Dallas, TX –
It’s Steve’s fault.
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
Not that he did anything.
I mean, I’ve never met the guy.
From what I understand, he’s a perfectly nice chap.
Very polite, and easy to get along with.
But I’m still going to place the blame squarely in his lap.
After all, if it wasn’t for him, none of this would have turned out the way it did.
Therefore, it’s his fault.
Dallas, TX –
“Christmas is coming.”
It’s like a bad Ned Stark impersonation.
“Yes, I know” I replied. “Christmas is always coming. The moment Christmas is over, the clocks already ticking to the next.”
This is the reality of every parent with young children. The moment all the gifts have been unwrapped and that initial surge of adrenaline-fueled anticipation has passed, the countdown starts all over again.
See, Shawn knows this is his impending reality, as his oldest is just reaching the age of toddlerhood.
He’s also aware that it’s my reality too, even though I have no young kids underfoot.
Dallas, TX –
The parts were practiced and ready.
The strings had just been replaced so they had that bright, lively sound.
Everything was plugged in, turned on, tuned up.
So, I pressed “Record” and…
Nothing…
Port Zélande, Netherlands –
“Which one of you is into cooking?”
It was the first thing out of Dore’s mouth the moment we first met our flat-mates for the weekend. No “Hi, good to meet you.” Not even any effort to feel them out and see if they cared about food, much less cooking it.
And from the looks on their faces, they didn’t. Or at least they hadn’t considered doing any while here.
Nope, Dore was determined to leap head first into recreating our flat-mate experience from the previous time we were here.
