Reindeer Down!

The Christmas decorations around town are quite festive and are pretty understated compared to those that I am used to encountering around the Main Line. And while there are houses here and there that have light displays a few bulbs shy of Clark Griswold, there actually isn’t much in the way of individual decorations up and down the streets. It seems as though we all agree that being out here, away from the densely populated areas, the night provides more of a light show than anyone could ever string along their eaves.

We are also in an area where people are incredibly kind and welcoming in the course of our weekly encounters. We have rarely come across someone who wasn’t pleasant and, more often than not, there have been kind words and wishes shared and reciprocated. However, given the occasional sounds in the distance and across the street, Rudolph might want to consider investing in some Kevlar. Who knows, someone around here might hold him personally responsible for Grandma’s death.

I can see it now. After their usual tales from NORAD telling watchers and listeners that Santa was crossing the Atlantic on his way to the East Coast, millions of children lay their heads town struggling to fall asleep. Then, all of the sudden…

from down in the den there arose such a clatter

that they sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

When what to their wondering eyes should appear

but a special report saying there’s nothing to fear.

As the reports pour in the news conveyed by the third string anchormen seemed grim…

they showed little emotion and went straight to their work,

the search teams were deployed and the kids when berserk.

And laying the report just off the screen,

they echoed the outcome which lead to a scream.

They cut to the authorities at the scene of the crash,

who didn’t hold back not fearing the backlash.

And they heard them proclaim at they signed off from the sight,

Rudolph was dead and Santa was grounded for the night.

As it turns out, as was reported the following day,

Rudolph isn’t bullet proof and pulled down the sleigh.

A 12 gauge took him out and with dead weight dragging them down,

the other reindeer couldn’t support Santa and they crashed in a small town.

The fire took Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen

but only singed Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen.

The presents were gone and Santa was pissed

because all that was left was a double checked list.

A New Season

While the weather has been slowly cooler over the past several weeks, there is something about the official first day of fall that enhances the subtle breezes, sharpens the colors, and enhances the smells that come with the season. Many of the trees may still be green and the sky remains un-fowled but there are subtle hints of the changes that will soon be upon us including the scattered leaves rustling between the leaves of un-mowed grass. And, of course, there is the smell of the burning foliage that sporadically wafts across the highway while on my way home from work each night.

However, the season is a little different this year. While I enjoy the coolness of the evenings sometimes venturing out to breathe the crisp air, we also have to make sure our son is dressed appropriately for the changing weather. As if we didn’t have enough stuff before, now we carry extra layers wherever we go and make sure that the colds he inevitably cycles through aren’t exacerbated by the chill in the air. After all, I want our son to enjoy this time of year as much as I do and, so far, he seems to be doing just that.

From time to time, shortly after getting home from work, I will pick up our son and take him outside. The dusk is still bright on the horizon and the air retains a hint of warmth which allows us to enjoy the time together without worrying about the dropping temperature. I love watching his eyes move from tree to tree studying the colors, shapes, and size of them. He watches the cars speed by slowly coming back to focus on the horizon as the orange and red takes over the sky. And when something is particularly interesting he usually starts slapping my arm and turns his head to look at me seemingly asking “Daddy, do you see that?”

Fall was already my favorite time of year and moment like that are making the season even better. While he is still young and may not fully appreciate all the changes that are taking place, the sense of wonder that he has accentuates the feeling of autumn for me. I hope that is one thing that he never loses when he looks at the world around him. Sometimes I lose sight of it but it really is an amazing creation in which we live.

Beginning Late, Ending Early

Yesterday was a long day at the office. Longer than usual and actually not at the office. It was a travel day that began early in the morning as my alarm began annoying me (and my wife) at 4:30am. While I had planned on leaving at 5:00am I was, not surprisingly, 30 minutes late getting into the car and onto the empty highway.

The drive to the airport was much faster than I expected and when I pulled into the short term parking garage near at the terminal I was greeted with a pleasant surprise. Despite the sign telling all who got off at that particular level that the lot was full, I managed to find an open spot at the end of the aisle which allowed me to walk straight into the building with minimal effort. After printing out my boarding pass on the ground floor I retraced most of my steps and got in the long security line.

I was still running a little late by this point but had plenty of time to make it to the gate for the flight. Somehow, by the time I got to the other side of the TSA checkpoint, I was back on schedule as they singled me out for the expedited screening. From there I met up with my colleagues at the gate, boarded the plane, and almost immediately closed my eyes and fell asleep. By the time I woke up we were in Atlanta pulling up to the gate ahead of schedule.

The brief meeting with our client went well and by the time we completed our agenda for the day, we were even further ahead of schedule. So much so that while we chatted and got to know everyone a little better I was able to look out the window and take the picture above of Olympic Park. By the time our car arrived the lead we had on the day evaporated (thanks unreliable car service) and we were off to the airport for our return trip home.

By the time we got back to the airport I couldn’t help but think “while it was nice getting to Atlanta a little early, it would be great to get home early.” With scattered showers forecast in both Atlanta and Philadelphia and a TSA line that seemed to disappear beyond the horizon, it wasn’t looking good. Through security and near our gate, we took advantage of the 30 minutes before boarding was scheduled to begin and grabbed a quick bite to eat.

By the time we got to the gate we were expecting them to nearly be ready to start boarding. What we found was the plane just pulling up and passengers beginning to disembark. It wasn’t looking good but, somehow, the airline managed to get all the passengers off, clean, and board all passengers fast enough that we pushed back 5 minutes early.

On the return flight I was lucky enough to trade with my colleague for a window seat which both helped me to catch up on a little more sleep but also watch as the scattered clouds…

…got thicker…

…but almost disappear as we made our approach.

Somehow we landed early and I was back in my car as the sky was just beginning to change from day to dusk.

While I didn’t get home early enough to see my son before he went to sleep (I let him know what was going on the night before) I was home in time to watch the last glowing vestiges of the day burn bright on the horizon before night fell. It is good to be home.

Day and Dusk Meditation

I have spent the last few days looking over all the pictures that I have taken over the summer. Some are pretty good and, overall, I am happy with the way they came out. Others not so much. Taking a second look this morning there were a couple of the photos that stood out from the rest. Not because they were anything special individually (the same can be said for all the photos I have taken) but because I happened to take the same photo twice without noticing it until now.

The first time I reached for my cell phone I was focused on the red rust of the beams and the angles of the wires as they stretched along the train tracks that run behind our apartment building. I always find angular patterned and geometric scenes interesting. It was early in the day and, as I recall, one of the few clear days we had in some time so I took the shot and I was pretty happy with how it came out. It was just one of those times when it was one spontaneous picture with my iPhone.

Months passed when I found myself in the same exact spot in the parking lot. Walking back from taking the garbage to the dumpster I happened to look up and see the rich colors saturating the sky. As usual, I had my phone on me so I pulled it out and tried to find the right angle where I could get as much of the cloud laced spectrum in frame. As it turns out, I am now looking back and I can see that I was in almost the same exact spot from when I took the first photo.

Making this discovery now instead of weeks or months ago, I have better appreciation of the play between the two photos. Perspective is everything in life. Sometimes you can see the big picture, the sky burning at dusk, while other times your focus is on the things that are much closer to you, things you can touch and understand like the structure that surrounds the SEPTA line. It is all a matter of perspective and time.

If you take the time to see not only what is in front of you but what awaits you just behind it allows you to be open to what G-d has in store for you and the beauty that the future brings beyond the confines of your immediate surroundings. Give it time and things will change for the better. Life isn’t always cold rusted steel in front of a cool pale blue. There is fire on the horizon that no matter how brief the colors may flow through the sky, it is a brilliant sight to behold and one that change your perspective for the following day. It is the fleeting, but also cyclical, beauty of this life and this world that elevates the sometimes monotonous tasks of our everyday lives. It is the daily gift that is waiting for us if we open our eyes and look to the horizon for hope.