... or from where will come a gentle reminder that life extends beyond our own peripheral vision.
And I got it as a facebook post from a guy who was part of the "Fargo Bus Group":
David H. saw a grey whale blow spray while surfing the westport jetty today with snowy mountains and a full ass moon behind me as the sun was dropping into the sea. mama nature in full effect!! topped off with some cave singers and a fresh cup of jo from the hungry whale gas station for the drive home. shredding life...
And I muttered to myself: Well would ya look at that! There IS a world that exists outside of my self-imposed cynicism!
WHO KNEW?!
As a quick recap, the "Fargo Bus Group" was born out of a Greyhound bus trip adventure back in July.
We were stranded in Fargo for a few hours when our bus missed its connection due to a passenger-related border delay from Winnipeg to Chicago.
With lots of time to kill in a tiny bus station, someone piped up:
"Who wants to go for a beer?"
A few people stood up: Anna from New Zealand, the teachers/roommates from Alberta, me n' Roy from Winnipeg, some dude from Montreal and David from San Diego.
And we headed out to surf the downtown area of Fargo for a place that served cheap beer and bar munchies, swap stories of where we were going and make the best of our delay.
The things I learned that afternoon were invaluable.
Like, if you mix beer with fruit punch it makes a refreshing summer drink. And how to inject vodka properly into watermelon to give it a real kick. And how surfing conditions are different depending on what beach you're on; Thailand, Bali, or the California Coast.
As you can probably guess by now, I became more a receiver of information than a contributor.
(Memories of college days that had sorely evaded me).
But strangely enough one of the things we had in common despite our age differences, was how we all believed that life was meant to be lived, not endured.
And that delays, side tracks and other circumstances that encourage patience, flexibility or a sudden change of plans is part n' parcel with life and should be embraced because they all offer opportunities for connecting with new people, slowing down, and blah blah blah.
I've said all this before.
So why was it so important to me today?
Well, I've been in limbo city since I discovered this whole literary process thing is going to take longer than originally anticipated. And reading David's facebook post gave me the lift I needed.
Sometimes, you just have to ride the wave and take stock of what's around you and remember that recognizing the truth of what exists in that moment is a gift that is unique.
And also, what you do with it.
David shared what he saw. It was that simple.
And it affected me positively in a much greater way than he probably ever anticipated when he wrote it.
I observe life. I point out the innane. And I hope that someone along the way will also benefit once in a while, from my observations.
The truth of the matter is, I think my intentions with this book were pretty straight-forward.
Using my own experiences as 'what not to do', I discovered some red flags and funny advice bits I hope will benefit others looking for love online.
I guess the bottom line is, I still think that we are accountable for whatever we do on some level to each other, to society, and to the Universe.
Okay, I admit it, writing a survival guide on Internet Dating isn't on the same level as Doctors Without Borders or Amnesty International. But hey, even those guys need love.
Everybody does.
And if my little part helps others feel more confident about getting out there and dating again by showing there's light at the end of the tunnel (and I'm not talking Near Death Experience though a break-up often feels like it) - then by golly, I've achieved my purpose!
And the only reason I started thinking about this today is because I was stuck wondering what kind of blog post I should write when my son said:
"Why don't you talk about Ashley Madison"?
"Who's Ashley Madison?"
But I think I'll leave that for next time...
