Other People's Lives
this is how it seems to beother people's lives seem more interesting cuz they aint mine
well i'm fed up and i need to go
out of existance or just down the road forever...
Through the scattered clouds in the dark night sky above, spots of starlight sparkle over the tiny metropolis below. Through the dimly lit buildings and empty alleyways, the wind blows a chilling reminder of winter. And yet it fails to diminish the warmth of laughter and dancing that fills the multitude of night clubs and restaurants below – parties raging in anticipation for the arrival of a new year.
On 2nd and Natoma, hips gyrate to the beat of music from years gone past, while alcohol flows generously from the bottles and taps, straight to the weary minds and souls worn thin from a year of painful transgressions, of wild accomplishments, of tireless career pursuits. And yet on this joyous night, his mind struggles to muster up the courage to approach that lovely young twenty-something smiling from across the room…
40 minutes south, a loving mother tends to her famed ginataan, an annual New Year's tradition carried on in her household for generations. Stirring ever so delicately, you can almost taste the savory tapioca and mochiko balls as they do a delicate dance with the sweet langka and bananas in the creamy warm stew. Her children fight with all their might to stay awake on this one rare night when Mom & Dad say it’s “OK” to stay up well past their bed-time.
To the east, a father tends to his newborn, the prodigal son. His heart fills with dreams of a Pro-Bowl NFL quarterback, leading his team in a 4th-quarter-comeback game-winning two-minute drill to victory in Superbowl-fifty-something. But that’s well beyond 2006. It’s still a comforting vision though, helping to mask his nervousness when faced with next year’s worries: mortgage payments, an overbearing boss in a dead-end job, rising day-care costs, a wife that will undoubtedly want more from her life…
And in a quaint studio apartment, she turns another page on her engrossing novel, indifferent to this milestone in her life. Tomorrow is just another day, and she finds herself comforted by a nice hot bath on this chilly New Year’s Eve. The driving piano chords of This is the Last Time echo throughout her apartment as she quietly puts down her book to soak in the solitude of a nice quiet evening to herself. She looks forward to what tomorrow will bring…
Back to the crowded SOMA restaurant, we find our tireless protagonist struggling against his deeply entrenched old habits and fears. Will this coming new year bring a renewed vigor and passion for life? Maybe not…he spends the remainder of the evening in inaction, paralyzed by a lethargic refusal to act on that primal instinct burning from within. Opportunity after opportunity passes him by, as track after track of good music blares through the modest speakers above. It looks like 2006 is off to a great start.
Happy New Year to you all…may the coming year fill your life with wonderful surprises, lasting love, amazing dreams, and shining examples of hope for us all. Here’s looking back at a great 2005 and looking forward to an even better 2006…
posted by VirtualErn @ 4:15 AM
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3 Comments:
hey that was fun! all the best in 06.
Sure was, man! Gonna be a blast in L.A. this weekend...heheheheh
I might not remember this weekend in LA. 8)
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