Friday, January 8, 2010

Solitude and Such

Only a few days after posting here about my love of sitting, I got this in my cookie at my favorite Chinese buffet...



It got a chuckle out of me, of course because I consider myself quite rich from sitting.  Oh, not rich in material wealth, but in the cerebral kind of satisfaction that I enjoy more than most other kinds. Seeking and sitting aren't mutually exclusive as my dessert would seem to suggest.  I've sought lots from the comfort of this very space, and I've found and discovered much.

I grew up in a home where one of the regular credos often proclaimed was, "I'd rather be an hour early than a minute late."  It was my mom's dad, my first hero, who typically spoke those words as if from on a soapbox or in a pulpit.  One of my uncles was once a few minutes late in taking gramps to church where he was the organist, and, as I'm told, that uncle was on the outs with him for months after that.  I get to school each morning nearly an hour before the kids come in for homeroom activities. My little Neon is often the first or second car in the lot, as it was this morning when I snapped this shot. 



I enjoy the still silence of our building early in the morning before it comes alive with the joyful sounds of kids' voices.  Not that I don't appreciate the animated life to which the kids bring our school when they arrive, but in the early, peaceful solitude I find a certain and unique satisfaction alone in its kind.  I could stay here at the house each morning instead of getting to school early.  I would be equally alone here and it would be just as quiet.  But there's something special about our school building that compels me to spend that time alone there each morning.  There's a kind of magic there, and I love it.



I was at a hockey game this evening, at the local arena, and imagine my thrill when I pulled out the iPod and discovered that there's free Wifi there!  It almost made me care if the Penguins would win.  They did, and so did I in tinkering on the internet instead of watching the Zambonis dance between periods.



Good night, all.  Tomorrow's thrill...  A haircut!  Woo Hoo!





4 comments:

Chuck Pefley said...

Haircuts are the just reward for those who seek, yet you get to sit while your barber goes snip, snip, snip -:)Win-win I guess.

cpa3485 said...

Nice thoughtful post, Steve. I hate to be late, too. For some reason I consider it rude.
I have gone to the same barber for almost 30 years now. He is a great guy with lots of stories and really bad jokes (the ones that make you groan). I get some good joke material from him all the time.
Stay warm!

Unknown said...

Joe:

I too suffer from your addiction. I keep hoping more people send me emails so I can play with my phone.

Count yourself lucky that you still have some hair to cut.

bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin

irondad said...

I share your love of early morning solitude. Your playground photo captures that well.

All you need to do is have several chairs. Then you can get up and "seek" the next chair!