Archive for February, 2008

The moment is perfect

Saturday, February 23rd, 2008

One night this past Fall, it was a bit warm in my bedroom. Outside, though, the temperature was just perfect. So I pushed open the window and lay in bed with the perfectly tuned breeze wafting through the room, carrying scent-notes of late Summer and outdoor plant life. The sounds were relaxing and rhythmic. Everything was ideal. To me, lying in bed with that breeze and those sounds was the perfect experience. Maybe it reminded me of Summer growing up, I don’t know.

At one point, I began to think about shutting the window, so I wouldn’t have to get up and do it later. I can experience this tomorrow night, I thought.

But another part of me clung to the experience, thought better of it, and let the window stay open. That night turned out to be the one and only night like that this past year.

When it occured to me to write this down, I thought of waiting until tomorrow. Then I thought again.

The moment is what we have. Experience it fully.

Posted in philosophy, stories | 1 Comment »

A Vast Wilderness

Wednesday, February 20th, 2008

Every day I teach, I take a 20-minute drive from Nashville to Murfreesboro. This drive is nothing at all compared to the pain of the morning commute into Nashville everyday.

In fact, the drive just flies by. I listen to the radio, engage myself in my own thoughts, or eat McDonald’s as I drive.

But today I woke up. I didn’t eat McDonald’s, didn’t listen to the radio, and didn’t think. And I realized a strange and wonderful truth.

Between me and Murfreesboro stretches a vast wilderness I must cross. The drive there is not so much a morning commute as it is an excursion between two remote outposts of civilization; outposts on the cusp of a vast expanse.

The road itself, the buildings dotting that road, and my own thoughts had hidden this from me.

But just looking at the reality as it flashed by convinced me that if I were to rise up a few hundred feet, the truth would be seen: this was nothing more than a flimsy covering laid on top of the wilderness underneath. The flimsy covering couldn’t begin to actually contain the reality that stretched out away from it and beneath it for hundreds of miles.

Odd things happen when you stop and observe.

Posted in adventure, philosophy, touring, travel | No Comments »

Finally Legal

Thursday, February 7th, 2008

For the first time in years, I’m actually a legitimate resident of a state. That state happens to be Tennessee.

For the entire time I was living in WV, I had a Washington State driver’s license. Once I had moved to Tennessee (with WV plates and a Washington driver’s license) and had lived here for awhile, I decided to update to a a WV drivers license.
So I went back to WV (where I still had some mail and residency documents), and got my license. Only trouble was, they accidentally gave me a learner’s permit. And I didn’t realize this until 2 weeks later, back in Tennessee, when someone asked me to see it.
So I drove back to WV, got my license upgraded to a real WV Driver’s License, and everything was fine. Except they got my birthdate wrong. But I let that slide.
So here I am living in Tennessee with WV plates and a WV driver’s license. Finally, my WV plates expired, and I decided to get Tennessee plates. So for the last year, I’ve been driving around with Tennessee plates and a WV driver’s license.
Today, I finally went legit. I went and renewed my tags, and applied for (and received!) a Tennessee Driver’s License! I may have accidentally perjured myself in the process, but I did receive it.
So for the first time in years, all my documents are from one state. And that state happens to be the one I’m actually living in.
It’s a monumental occasion, and I just thought you should know about it.

Posted in humor, lifestyle, touring, travel | No Comments »